tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4189206877177236135.post3883666396289375069..comments2014-03-06T20:01:03.673-07:00Comments on The Pegasus Rider: The Question of TasteAlexis Smolenskhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03251006335957747117noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4189206877177236135.post-10141700171799029272011-06-04T15:09:58.324-06:002011-06-04T15:09:58.324-06:00The degeneration in quality of novels in general I...The degeneration in quality of novels in general I'd like to say has a lot to do with how we approach communication.<br /><br />In short, I'd say modern fiction sucks because modern writers have never before needed to sit down and actually think about writing.<br /><br />You mentioned it earlier, that we no longer use writing as communication (communication that took considerable time to arrive, at that) and so with it went the pressure that such communication brings, to be witty, memorable, to make very clear one's voice, in short, to maintain interest in a given reader over a period of weeks, even months.<br /><br />As for taste, I always supposed that writing was not, and could not be done for someone else. You just wrote "your" story and hoped it struck a chord.Pandredhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03917809464727878157noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4189206877177236135.post-4953690493521197992011-06-02T15:26:06.416-06:002011-06-02T15:26:06.416-06:00Ok. Here goes. I like work that is capable of surp...Ok. Here goes. I like work that is capable of surprising me. By which I mean, work that can re-frame a point of view in a way that makes the audience, namely me, look at the world through a different perspective. Work that can make me go away with the simple feeling of "I never thought of it that way, before now!" When creative work is done that way, it can be a genuinely liberating and exciting experience. It's a rush, in it's own way, like winning a competition. I've discovered also, to leave my taste filters and prejudices at the door when I'm experiencing these works.For a broad example, (no specifics) I don't care much for Jazz/Fusion music, but I've encountered examples of it that have made me realize that my earlier broad dismissal of that particular genre of music may have been a little...hasty? I could go back to musical pieces I hated before and get something new and rewarding out of it. I can also go back to work I didn't like before and still not like it.But more importantly, broadening my understanding of a work of art gives me a better vocabulary to communicate the nuances and subtleties to personally discriminate between separate pieces of creative work. That's why I think part of being a good artist in whatever medium one works in involves being a good critic.<br /><br />'Taste', however, is a purely subjective thing, and I don't think anyone could quantify it. I'm sure I like a lot of stuff that would make a lot of people look at me funny, and there's a lot of stuff out there that a lot of people enjoy that makes me cock an eyebrow at. The danger here is when you have people out there who use their 'taste' to define their personalities. If you're trying to shore up the crumbling wall of your personality by identifying with some franchise based around vampires or a generic sci-fi space opera, you've got problems...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4189206877177236135.post-41603533489293695212011-06-02T14:46:45.264-06:002011-06-02T14:46:45.264-06:00My taste in music changed. I grew up doing the cla...My taste in music changed. I grew up doing the classic rock and country thing, but three years ago I put my radio in my truck on NPR and it has been there ever since. I guess being in my forties now I'm just looking for something new or different. <br /><br />But at some point we have to gain the ability to recognize talent without liking the subject matter. Which is getting tougher because the older I get, the more set in my ways I get. And alot of what I've loved all my life (people, places, and things), all seem to be disappearing.<br /><br />I'm going to go to my room and cry now...Big Robhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06533110121012324111noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4189206877177236135.post-52216734789434399602011-06-02T11:41:19.729-06:002011-06-02T11:41:19.729-06:00As far as books go, I've actually stopped read...As far as books go, I've actually stopped reading many, recently I've been reading an educational book, albeit slowly because of it's dense content.<br /><br />I myself have also gotten tired of the formula in books I've read. Though the fault may be mainly that I get books as gifts, primarily from someone who gives me anything with a dragon on the cover.<br /><br />Poems I've found appealing is few and far between. Most of the works I've read I just don't get. Or I think I get, and just come off stupid. Maybe this is due to my younger age and exposure to more recent works primarily with my American education.<br /><br />I honestly don't watch movies much any more either. With the exception as a social activity, I've found most to be less engaging than many other activities and MUCH more expensive, possibly with the exception of some direct services and public TV. <br /><br />I actually found some theater to be very engaging and reasonably priced in college. They had a nice little theater with a stage that actually went into the audience. While the acting wasn't always top-tier I'm sure, they had some good content. Now I'm in an area that probably has top tier acting, but costs as much as my utilities to see, therefore I've only seen one show.<br /><br />Honestly, recently I've found very little that interests me in writing now that I look at it.Oddbithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12091924105175846386noreply@blogger.com