Thread by @BenEspen

Friend @cirsova is surely too modest here, as he is also no slouch at doing thematic and structural analysis.

But why don't we talk about criticism? I do this as a hobby, and I can't cover everything. More critics would be a good thing.

https://x.com/cirsova/status/1965210710126080056

The function of a critic is something I only gradually understood.

I borrow my understand of criticism in part from Susan Rogers "This is What it Sounds Like".

Thanks to @Steve_Sailer, I see the function of a literary critic as analogous to how Rogers describes music critics.

Critics assess whether an author has done a difficult job well, or contributed to the Great Conversation in a lasting way.
Other writers assess an author’s craft as a writer, peer-to-peer.
The public buys books and writes an author fan mail.

One of the key functions I serve is that I'm *not* an author of fiction.

Lots of conversations about books, especially in the doomed #WritingCommunity are authors talking to each other.

Discussions about author craft have their place, but criticism is something different. It is a different skill set and a different point of view.

Another important thing that I do is work to gain trust. I actively engage at my website and here with authors because I wish to maintain good relations.

https://x.com/CatalyticComics/status/1965253544950567137

But at the same time I need to maintain my independence.

One time I can remember having the thought: "if I say this will I keep getting review copies?"

And I realized that was potential bias. I have to be willing to be an asshole sometimes.

It is important that what I say about stories be as honest as possible, so while I do accept review copies, I also make sure to go buy books for the purpose of criticism as well.

I also try to be fair in what I say.

This is especially important because taste =/= criticism.

Whether I like a book, or a genre, or even an author needs to take a back seat.

This is genuinely hard. But I think an example of how this works is by engaging with authors who contribute to the Great Conversation, authors who influence other authors and help define genres.

https://x.com/BenEspen/status/1859697277918748958

But also by being honest when a famous story isn't a good story. A lot of 19th & 20th c. literature is really disguised discursive writing, where plot and characterization is secondary to theme.

But this sells short the true power of stories, which operate at a different level of abstraction than discursive writing.

Stories are hypothetically related to our world, and their power comes from being able to succinctly communicate the possible.

https://x.com/BenEspen/status/1817917793326797157

I invite anyone with an interest in this to pick up the crown lying in the gutter. Criticism is too important to ignore.

/END