“the next real literary ‘rebels’ in this country might well emerge as some weird bunch of anti-rebels, born oglers who dare somehow to back away from ironic watching. Who treat plain old untrendy human troubles and emotions in the U.S. life with reverence and conviction. Who eschew self-consciousness and hip fatigue. These anti-rebels would be outdated, of course, before they even started. Too sincere. Maybe that’ll be the point.
The new rebels might be artists willing to risk the yawn, the rolled eyes, the cool smile, the nudged ribs, the parody of the gifted ironists, the “oh, how banal.” To risk accusations of sentimentality, melodrama. Of overcredulity. Of softness.”
David Foster Wallace, E Unibus Pluram
An essay on the role of irony and television in U.S. Fiction.
Written in 1990, long before blogging began.
Totally agree. Sincerity has been so 'uncool' for so long that it's cool now. I'm glad. See also: The Sound of Young America on the subject of "New Sincerity"
ReplyDeleteI thought this was such an accurate prediction from DFW, over 20 years ago! I see it coming true with women and blogging : all of the "born ogglers" who "treat untrendy human troubles with reverence".
DeleteThanks so much for recommendation, Sarah! I've been really interested in the value of sincerity lately.