Compare and contrast Most blogs I write seem t…
Compare and contrast
Most blogs I write seem to be a moan about the nature of literary journalism in Britain. If anyone needs any more convincing, compare and contrast Robert Pinsky?s review in The New York Times of a new biography of Dante and the English novelist DJ Taylor?s article in The Guardian about ?experimental? fiction writing. (You will need to register with the NYT, but it?s worth it.)
What bothers me is the tone. While Pinsky is thoughtful, informative and inspiring, Taylor's article is a piece of smug hack work. In his defence, it does seem to be a tone loved by editors in this country. They demand amusing anecdotes and nothing too heavy. If Taylor had to review the new biography, I?d bet he?d concentrate on Dante fancying a teenage girl and have a laugh at the grandiose project it spawned.
