--- In
rara-avis-l@yahoogroups.com, "Kerry J. Schooley"
<gsp.schoo@...> wrote:
<<However, the fact that the label is applied to the
works of so many creators who don't really understand noir
is, for better or worse, a sign of the current popularity of
this genre, and I think to some extent the success of this
list which is always arguing for the genre's purity. And
that's part of our current reality too.>>
All I ask for is good writing, not purity. And yes, real
reality does change, as does fictional reality. For example,
rebelliousness today is not the same as it was 50 or even 20
years ago. I mention this because many noir and hardboiled
writers are nonconformists, just not in the same way that,
say, Chandler or John D. or Willeford were.
In any case, literary production cannot be regulated, nor
should it. And criticism needs to take into account that the
times are always changing. I don't know what good it does to
compare a young noir writer of today to James Cain or Gil
Brewer.
Best,
MrT
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : 06 Jul 2007 EDT