Write. Die. Fame
Jordan Matthew Beyer
Jordan Matthew Beyer
Write. Die. Fame. These three words, in that order, best explain American literature, in my opinion. In addition are more common associations such as sensuous personal reception of a piece and the author’s distinct writing style. This is to say that in a modern classroom when a teacher assigns his/her class to read a literary piece, a betting man should side with the opinion that the author of that literary piece is dead or, as morbid as it may seem, close to death and has made significant contribution to his/her artistry. Take for instance these three popular American novelists; John Knowles: “A Separate Peace.” F. Scott Fitzgerald: “The Great Gatsby.”[i] Ernest Hemingway: “The Old Man and the Sea.”[ii] All three dead long before (F. Scott Fitzgerald died in 1940 and Ernest Hemingway committed suicide in 1961) or near the millennium (John Knowles died in 2001) and known as sizeable contributors to writing. This is crucial not for historical amusement but as a basis for understanding the object (or product as it may be called) of American literature. Are all contemporary authors not literary giants worthy of an educational curriculum? In order to better answer that question we should first define American literature.
A specific definition of literature (according to the Merriam Webster dictionary) is “writings having excellence of form or expression and expressing ideas of permanent or universal interest.” That end portion regarding “permanent or universal interest” can be closely related to the word ‘classic’ when referring to film (i.e. ‘film classic’) or music (i.e. ‘classical music’ or ‘classic rock’) of “permanent or universal interest.” Therefore, a reasonable definition of American literature might say; writings having excellence of form or expression and expressing ideas of permanent or universal interest produced in America (including colonial America). If this be an agreeable definition of American literature, then the question is not of what American literature is by definition but rather what qualifies a literary piece (which is broadly defined as “writings in prose or verse”) as one of “permanent or universal interest.”
The three words that begin this document (Write. Die. Fame.), are simply my opinion of the progression by which we come to determine American literature. The last two words specifically refer to a theme that runs through all of the arts, this idea that when an artist of any trade dies, his/her work is more appreciated as can arguably be seen recently with the death of Heath Ledger and his posthumous Oscar. It is not worth explaining in detail this specific example, but the very fact that every critic who praised his performance disclaimed their review by saying that their opinion would have been no different had he lived, says that their review may have been different had he lived. Certainly Elvis Presley could fit this same example as an artist who died fairly young but is possibly more popular today than he would have been had he lived. I don’t have sufficient evidence to support either claim but the list is long of those who have died young or tragically and then experienced their respective fame in large proportions; Marilyn Monroe, Steve “Pre” Prefontaine, James Dean, Pablo Picasso, and Edgar Allen Poe. However, it must be noted that this strictly points to the fame of the individuals and not necessarily their body of work. Linking this phenomenon to the sensuous feeling of literature best represents the connection of the two by which much of American literature comes to be determined.
I remember the first book I read in secondary school that held personal regard with me, it was “A Separate Peace” by John Knowles. John Knowles didn’t have a tragic or particularly young death and he had written eight novels throughout his writing career. Of the eight novels, “A Separate Peace” was his masterpiece of composition and popularity. This is when I finally understood what literature meant to me. It wasn’t an answer to world problems or a grand synopsis of a specific period of time, it was strictly sensory. I related to the story and though placed in the early 1940’s and by all means well summarizing the mood of the times, it was the relationship of Finny and Gene that spoke to me.[iii] The book opens with a narrative by a much older Gene who returns to the Devon school in New Hampshire and reflects on his experience. I often think of this when reflecting on past experiences, for me it is a haunting remembrance written on those pages. For myself, this is a prime example of literature because permanent, universal, and often horrifyingly relatable. I don’t remember having a secondary school book speak to me as this one did ever again. It is certainly one of my favorites, but I don’t love it. In fact, I hate it because it is too real. Reading this book gave me a feeling similar to the time I first saw somebody die. The motionless and empty figure lies there dead for all to see yet there is this hope that the scenario could change in that moment so as not to be subjected to that. This deeply personal feeling serves simply to illustrate that sometimes the embodied work sheds light into personal experiences from which our definition of literature relates when it says that the work is of “permanent or universal interest.” This personal reception of a literary piece points to our final determinant in the American literature definition, an authors writing style.
When we think of great authors, there are often certain salient qualities about the particular writing style of the author. For instance, in reference to Ernest Hemingway’s “The Sun Also Rises” The New York Times (in reference to the writing style)”…….told in lean, hard athletic prose……” With a theme of short sentences, this synopsis of Hemingway’s writing style is not uncommon when avid readers and critics read his work.[iv] This well proves the importance of an author’s writing style in establishing a theme and a strong connection with the reader. “Fitzgerald’s clear, lyrical, colorful, witty style evoked the emotions associated with time and place.”[v] These two authors share in the influence over modern writing and subsequent reading of any published material, particularly that of fiction.
Once again to reference the words that begin this document, it is important in defining American literature to let opinion “join hands” with a classical definition of American literature to create a more modern definition. American literature is distinc of international literature and therefore the word literature itself. I believe that in many ways our perception of American literature is also minuter than “any written piece” produced in America. Such is why write, die, and fame are fitting words to frame our understanding of American literature.
[i] Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. New York: Scribner, 1999.
[ii] Hemingway, Ernest. Old Man and the Sea. New York: Scribner, 1995.
[iii] Knowles, John. A Separate Peace. New York: Bantam Books, 1953.
[iv] rne, and Janice.. "The Hemingway Review, Volume 23 - Table of Contents." Project MUSE. 22 Mar. 2009
