I like this essay a lot. I've been thinking about cultural vitality, for want of a better word. Even when I disagree, which is often, the US seems to be producing. It's like a writer who sometimes writes badly, but is still writing. To extend the metaphor, much of the world seems to have writers block. So you look at hard core American alt country, for example, and the fans are from around the world. And part of me thinks, your country doesn't have artistic working class guys? It's just an example. Journalists, which you mention, is another.
Just a thought: perhaps creativity, what I'm calling vitality, is more likely along with a degree of parochialism? That at least makes outright imitation less likely? Americans often really don't know/care what's going on elsewhere. Easier to make than to learn or something. (On the other hand, other cultures cross fertilize, etc., etc.)
Anyway, no real thesis here, but keep up the good work.
Thanks for the generous and interesting comment. Australia used to have working-class creatives, but now Australia doesn’t really have a working class in that sense: we don’t manufacture anything. Still, we don’t have any non-credentialed creatives, which is a big shame.
Like most people, I think fertilisation across cultures is good, but (as you say) downright imitation is a different thing.
Australia does have a very big country music scene. I don’t know how different it is to that in the USA — it’s something I’ve wanted to look at for a while but it’s not a style of music I’m very familiar with, so my judgements probably would not be worth much.
I like this essay a lot. I've been thinking about cultural vitality, for want of a better word. Even when I disagree, which is often, the US seems to be producing. It's like a writer who sometimes writes badly, but is still writing. To extend the metaphor, much of the world seems to have writers block. So you look at hard core American alt country, for example, and the fans are from around the world. And part of me thinks, your country doesn't have artistic working class guys? It's just an example. Journalists, which you mention, is another.
Just a thought: perhaps creativity, what I'm calling vitality, is more likely along with a degree of parochialism? That at least makes outright imitation less likely? Americans often really don't know/care what's going on elsewhere. Easier to make than to learn or something. (On the other hand, other cultures cross fertilize, etc., etc.)
Anyway, no real thesis here, but keep up the good work.
Thanks for the generous and interesting comment. Australia used to have working-class creatives, but now Australia doesn’t really have a working class in that sense: we don’t manufacture anything. Still, we don’t have any non-credentialed creatives, which is a big shame.
Like most people, I think fertilisation across cultures is good, but (as you say) downright imitation is a different thing.
Australia does have a very big country music scene. I don’t know how different it is to that in the USA — it’s something I’ve wanted to look at for a while but it’s not a style of music I’m very familiar with, so my judgements probably would not be worth much.
Wow! Now I really want to read this short story. Do you know where I might find it?
Yours is an exemplary attitude! You can find it in his short story collection "The Fat Man in History".