SBD: taking what you love seriously

[jmc_bks]

Tis Monday again.  Time to opine.  Then go tell Beth about it.

I don't have any bitchiness.  And very litle smartness.  But I have an opinion.

At Saturday's panel (From Classical to Hip-Hop -- Music Education in the 21st Century), Warren Zanes said something that clicked for me.  Talk about what you love.  Take it seriously.  He was talking about popular music and popular culture, and the divide between so-called high and low culture in the art world and in the approaches to teaching music.  But it really resonated with me in terms of the genre fiction that I read.  Made me feel kind of guilty.  Because outside of the online community, I don't talk about the books that I love best.  I talk about the nonfiction I read; I talk about the classics I read; I talk about literary fiction (what little I read).  But I don't really talk about the fantasy/SF that I read, except to those who I know also read F/SF.  I only talk about romance with other romance readers.  

I'm just slow. The parallels between the high-low debate in the art community and the publishing world never occured to me.  ::shrugs:: Sometimes it takes a sledgehammer.

I guess the cool thing is that there are people who do take what they love about romance seriously, as you can see at Teach Me Tonight and other blogs.  Who see it as a piece of popular culture and modern literature worth studying.  Cool.

And that's all the smartness I have this evening.  It wasn't much, was it?

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

works for me.

I thought popular culture was all the rage for PhD theses these days?

If I talk about romance with non-romance types, I end up feeling like a proselytizer (sp) or apologist and I suck at both roles. (or going over the basics: "yes, there are good writers, no; it's not all trash.")

kate r.

[jmc-bks.livejournal.com]

I think *certain areas* of popular culture are all the rage, but some areas are still embarrassing secrets.

[dogzzz2002.livejournal.com]

That was the neat thing about meeting Kristie(J). I have never really talked about romance books with another person uh, in person ;) I now have another friend who is diving into romance after discovering that there were vampires in the genre. Then she got sucked into a whole bunch of stuff in romance.

I don't really talk to anyone about my reading except online but then I didn't have anyone who read romance until Kristie and then best bud took it up.

Then again, I don't really understand art people. You know, the kind who can stare at a painting for hours and then talk about it forever? So really, it's only interesting if the person you are talking to also shares your passion.

There, I put my thinking cap on and everything and I'm not sure I was on point. What a surprise.

CindyS

[jmc-bks.livejournal.com]

I talk romance with my sister...but she reads a lot less of it than I do. Otherwise, nope, not in person.

I dunno, staring at paintings? I don't have the attention span for that. But I do like to look at it for smaller increments of time...until the museum walk (the slow, lateral creep from display to display) makes my back ache.

[(Anonymous)]

I think whatever can spur on the passion within you should write about it. Some amazing bits of literature have been written from a deep disgust, pure hatred or amusement. When something causes ripples in the well of our emotions (oh aren't I spouting purple fountains this morning?! Ha!)it's going to be good. We can't just write about what we like/love and desire. We need to tap into all those other emotions that cause passionate responses.

However, outside the internet, I'm not much of a talker. I'm a listener. I like to see what gets other people going. I want to know what gets them passionate because as writers we focus so much on what's inside us we become very singular and reclusive people.

The thing I love about Beth, is she talks about all kinds of books, not just Romance. There's a lot of romance - but she dips her toes in other lit too which gets me thinking "Hey I should try that!"

I'm posting your parcel out this week. I've been delayed by a shortage of bubble wrap but that has finally been remedied. Watch your post box in two weeks' time!!

[jmc-bks.livejournal.com]

When something causes ripples in the well of our emotions

I really like this image!

Outside the internet, I listen and take notes. Because I need to think and mull before I speak. Which makes people wonder who that lump in the back of the room is and why she bothered to attend if she didn't have anything to say.

Oh, bubble wrap is my favorite. My brother gave me a huge roll as a gift once, just so I could pop it all. :)