Dick:
<<The posts about Ellroy's self-proclaimed genius and
dismissal of Chandler seem to miss the point.>>
Let's see: Twain never proclaimed himself a genius; neither
did originals like Faulkner, Hemingway, Gaddis, De Lillo,
etc. etc. The Ellroy thing is a bit rich, don't you think?
Also ridiculous, even in a society of the spectacle like
ours.
<<He says these things to get people to talk about
him.>>
That I believe.
<<And guess what? To sell books in large quantities
these days one has to do some sort of shuck and
jive.>>
I don't blame any author who wants to sell lots of books. You
write to sell. It's the self-applied word "genius" and the
dismissal of other authors that overstep the boundaries of
decorum. For example, he accused Walter Mosley of copying
him. Well, right now I would not say that Ellroy is a better
writer than Mosley. In fact, I believe the opposite is
true.
<<James has few peers when it comes to self-promotion.
But it would be a mistake to judge the product by the
pitch.>>
Of course. A magnificent book like _The Big Nowhere_ would be
enough proof of his talent. When I think of Ellroy, I can't
help thinking of what happened to John Dos Passos, who is a
sort of literary ancestor.
Regards,
MrT
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