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Social media in its current form is in a trough with  few really serious projects emerging from the nerd geek valleys of the planet. Instagram since the Facebook takeover has gone through a huge overhaul. Twitter was once described by Germaine Greer as a ‘Vomitorium’ but is the preserve of the chattering classes. A broadsheet focus hangs over it with the sniper tweets coming from isolated keyboard warriors. They reflect a disenchantment that often is not as simple as it seems to tweeters. Much content is calculated but looks as if it is an instant reaction or off the cuff. If one enters public life one has to expect the flak that goes with it and that includes death kidnapping wounding plus threats. A brass neck helps as well as a thick skin and earplugs.

The myth of social media creating crime or hate is not borne out by statistics if one looks at pre internet crime rates. The notion of the fifties or sixties being ‘the good old days’ are total nonsense. I can recalll no go areas in my childhood as well as a high enough murder rate. There were gangs of whom some were related to  teddy boy culture with knives as weapons of choice. Also organised crime existed with World War Two shortages a spur to earn lucre but also the war increased production. 

I suppose the real flaw of social media is a false notion of community or communities with no basis in reality. Facebook and Instagram when they first emerged seemed novel with huge options for literary effort. But writers in all genres let it to their smaller fry to do the donkey work. On Facebook or Instagram or Twitter of course writers are on display but their anti social traits are all too obvious. There of course are exceptions but my view is that it is too much of an effort for them? 

On another tack the whole industry of festivals and readings no longer seem of much value or hold much merit. I have organised both and now looking back seeing them as futile activity as well as a total waste of time and energy. Few writers can read their work well or perform with real flair and gusto. Open mic events with small numbers of readers are bleak while thankfully I avoided slams. Some literary seminars are top class with The Powys Society totally outstanding and highly recommended. The John Goodby and Lyndon Davies festival in Hay on Wye also top class. Tony Fraser’s Exeter Phoenix readings had a real buzz about them with James Bell also involved there. 

As for music festivals in the outdoors they are my idea of hell and torture and I listen to no music whatsoever anymore. Crawling around in the mud at Glastonbury is many souls idea of heaven but count me out Mr Eavis! I once listened to Rod Stewart coming in from Somerset Cricket Club and the backing band knocked out me and my late beloved cat Fritz. Given that tribute bands can be almost as good as the real thing why no tribute poets? Lookalikes can be found now for everyone and last evening Katie Price said many admirers have surgery to look like her. This was during an evening at Cambridge University. I hope all the Prynne fans and post Prynne generation attended in numbers? Any reviews of Pricey welcome and indeed Keston Sutherland may yield a poem out of it!

Cheers

sc




"half of the time we're gone & we don't know where"
The Only Living Boy In New York
Paul Simon

On Thursday, 1 February 2018, Tony Frazer <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

How’s that for a new subject?

I put it there because I’ve been directed to a US review of this phenomenon, which makes Rebecca Watts’ recent review-essay look like the sober lit-crit piece that it mostly was. This one also has the merit of being penned by a woman, and for having a few male targets in the view-finder too.

Bracing stuff.

https://thebaffler.com/latest/instapoetry-roberts


Tony