True Literary Works of Art Are Being Ignored Due to the Greed of Corporations
Whenever the powers at be – whomever they are – decide to publish manuscripts based on profitability or how well the author will be able to perform on a talk show, true works of art are being pushed aside. It is in this extremely materialistic and vain mentality that we as Americans have adopted as our own that is beginning to shape our literary world. In the early stages of the printed word, manuscripts were released based exclusively on the impact the literary work would have on the society in whom it was going to be read. Whether the manuscript spoke about political developments, either agreeing with the government or disagreeing, or other issues facing that society. Though with the latter, certain governments would try absolutely everything necessary to keep these authors silent – even if that meant death. But still, throughout the “cleansing fires” these political parties held, it did nothing but purify the authors’ writings to a clear and pristine art form.
Before the printing press was conjured up religions were widespread, but definitely not to the extent as they were one hundred years after the famed invention. Entire religious beliefs were formed and practiced due to the mass production of their bibles or other handbooks. Never before in history was there such an explosion of religion through the written word. Even Johannes Gutenberg was heavily involved in the religious movement the printing press brought – some even say he is the father of it. For the very first whole publication that was printed or “pressed” was the Holy Bible. Even at the conception of the printing press, Gutenberg completely took a hold of its various uses and began formulating it as his way of spreading his religion.
If we were to fast-forward throughout the centuries and resume our placement in the 1950s, one would be completely horrified as to see what was happening in the literary market of the United States. It was then that the citizens of this country found themselves amidst a literal war of censorship in publishing the written word. All of this was due to several characteristics that America was pushing through – that of the anti-communism witch-hunt and the religious-right movement. The deadly combination of the latter two nearly caused a complete and utter destruction of the literary market in the United States. However, there were many individuals that would not comply with the book burning and government censorship guidelines. They viewed the written word as it truly was, neither good nor evil, but only that of art. To quote Oscar Wilde from his novel The Portrait of Dorian Gray, “There is no such thing as a moral or immoral book. Books are well written or badly written.”
Now, in the year 2005, we find ourselves undergoing another type of witch-hunt, that of completely destroying and removing those authors whom aren’t pleasing to the eye, or to the manuscripts that wouldn’t make such a fabulous movie. When has the film industry become an offspring of the book industry? Yes, they are both mass mediums of entertainment and information, but what happens when the lines between the two become blurred? There are several questions every editor at a major publishing house asks himself/herself. “How would the author come across on radio?” “Does the manuscript lend itself to a screenplay?” “Would the movie have the potential for profitable soundtrack possibilities?” Those are just a sample of the qualifying factors an author and his or her manuscript must jump through in order for their work to even be considered for publication.
One might suddenly become overwhelmed by the discovery of this. But throughout the proverbial tears that are cried for this case, one question is asked, “Is there any possible way to change this?” And the hard-truth answer to that question is – no. It will be utterly impossible to quench the thirst for money the corporate giants crave. However, there is hope. Authors must unite together as one, and allow the major publishing houses to continue in their quest for more money. Because what do men want when they have great wealth? More wealth. However, if authors continue penning manuscripts that come from their soul, there will always be an audience for them. Because a souls cry isn’t shared in an abortive atmosphere – it must heard. So the answer to this predicament is very clear, continue writing and grace the world with one’s spirits melodic phrases.
