Insulation

Neil Stephenson interview
Article 10: Critical Distance

While I have never read anything by Neil Stephenson he has come highly recommended for someone with an interest in 16th century English history. Most of his interview on Slashdot did not interest me except for his long response concerning literary criticism and the relationship between art and economics. Paul O'Brian presents a similar argument on critical acclaim and market forces in comics. Both Stephenson and O'Brian write for rather insular audiences. Still, both make strong points on the difference between literary, or high art, and the direct mainstream markets. What I find interesting is the idea that poor performance in the mainstream is constantly taken as a sign of the quality of the work. The academic-based critics hail the underachievers for being underachievers. Maybe my natural disdain for anything that comes with massive fanfare, no matter who the fan, prevents me from seeing the logic in this.