I'm actually pumped that TMR published a piece like this because I'm pretty sure most mags would be afraid to do so based on the topic alone (which I think only supports your point here, Django). I appreciate that this piece makes space to critique misogynistic writing, too, instead of simply criticizing contemporary female authors, and I personally really liked the vast number of examples of how both men and women fall short in showing us real and complex human beings (which I used to hope was the goal of literary fiction compared to, say, commercial fiction). I found the voice incredibly playful in its intensity (definitely going to start using Rigged for Her Pleasure lol). I hope TMR will publish more pieces like this that make people uncomfortable, especially if readers here disagree with the author, because in the literary sphere, it can sort of feel like everyone is tiptoeing to the same side, and that's rather dull.
This is genuinely a great piece on the dilemma of men in literary fiction, and pretty damn important if anyone wants a snowball's chance in hell of addressing the issue of young men in modern culture (especially in the West, especially after this past November). It's easy to curl up and get comfy in an echo chamber; it's much harder when reality comes a-knocking and you find yourself with comparatively paltry cultural offerings to the subject. A fantastic work of invigorating criticism, regardless of wherever you fall on the sociopolitical spectrum.
I recently read Acts of Desperation by Megan Nolan (a good novel, btw) over a weekend and felt that part of what made it so easy to read was that it was immediately relatable, even though I'm not a woman. So even I can find it a compelling read despite being very different from the protagonist and author, how much more compelling would it be if I were?
We always ask why there's such a growing gender disparity these days when it comes to reading, let alone writing. One obvious answer is that it's very fun and flattering to always read about yourself. I've re-read Loner and The Love Affairs of Nathaniel P. numerous times because in many ways (not all of them a source of pride), I identify with the protagonists. While it's great to see things through other perspectives, it's also great to have your own experiences reflected back at you, letting you process them from a more removed position.
In shorts, young guys won't read more until there are more genuine young male characters being written.
"Loner" and "Affairs" are the two counterexamples to this trend I was waiting for, though it seems like Ellenhorn wants something even harsher than those? I'd defend both of them as just plainly engrossing while also refusing to flinch from the ugliness of characters of both genders, but yes, as you point out, they're only going to seem relatable if you went to a pretty elite college or are part of a social milieu where at least a few people went to one of those places.
Really compelling. Also, and this is a bit adrift of your main point, but you're the only writer I've seen acknowledge something that I have been praising Rooney for all along (though I recognize you're not praising it, just pointing to it). She writes about what it's like to be a young woman, seeking love in the shadow of pornography -- and what love between men and women might look like in spite of it.
Broad in scope, good in noticing, as James Wood would say. Nailed Rooney and Lerner (and others), I would have nailed harder, but, hey...poor Fuccboi must be feeling the heat these days after this and the Sam Kriss essay in The Point. Nice work.
This was a. no holds barred essay. I’m 63 and have been married for almost forty years. I kept thinking as I was reading this that to know yourself as a man and as a man to know a woman it’s a huge advantage to have been in a long and successful marriage. You can’t create that level of intimate observation without putting in the time
This review has me scared of my own shadow! I have three stories in my short story manuscript that feature women as the protagonist—and other stories feature non-Native Americans as the protagonists. I'm re-reading my MS with this essay in mind.
Thank you for reading these books so I don’t have to, although I admit I liked The Topeka School because I lived in Lawrence for a couple of years. Also the debate rules appalled me. The mom is great.
Django, this was long but important, and brave of you to put it out there.
Thank you for reading all that literary fiction and not taking the gas pipe so you could tell us about it. I’ve known it was out there, but I’m already depressed, so never went near it.
OMG, this was beautiful, “cliterature.” Wonderful. Mind if I borrow it in future posts? It’s perfect.
“… after all the flogging of those dead gods, have men gotten any better at writing women?” This might come up in any review of my novel, The Fake Memoir of a Mid-List Writer.
Yes, what do women want, need, like, deserve… and can men ever really know and provide it? My male POV character is clueless, given his religious upbringing, his relative youthfulness, and the times, 1960s-1970s. I believe I’m rendered him honestly. We’ll see, if I can ever sneak him past the ‘cliterati’ and onto the book shelves.
By the way, you won’t find any male literary pandering in my latest. And that likely accounts for the great silence after my 18 months of querying.
Again, thank you for this wonderful, if discouraging, analysis.
A question. Given what you’ve uncovered and extrapolated on, would the Metropolitan Review (I’m a subscriber) ever consider looking at a ‘self-published’ work? I’m serious, as I am, apparently, walled off from the great ladies' literary machine.
Lou, thanks for that. I have been both commercially published, 4X, and I’ve self published another six books. The book I would like to have reviewed, is not yet self-published. I’ve been querying agents and houses for 16 months to no avail. I’ve set my self a deadline. If I cannot find a house by June I will self-publish it.
One of the reasons I’ve been holding out so long is that self-published books are rarely reviewed by reputable review venues. The fact that you are willing to review self published books is wonderful. I do know that a lot of what is self-published is not very good, but I also know that there have to be some really good ones as well. I’ve had some nice comments on my book from the few people who have read it, but no critical reviews.
I will get back to you at the Metropolitan Review when the book is in the publishing process.
Best of luck with your queries, Paul, and congratulations on your ten published books! We look forward to hearing from you when you're ready.
Two self-published novels were displayed at our January launch party alongside other recent titles. We champion under-acknowledged and emerging voices, both in our selection of writers (this is Django's debut) and in the works we review.
Very glad you enjoyed this piece. Thank you for reading!
Lou, not to go on... But, what you're doing is much needed and you're likely one of the first, if not the first. A literate, smart and classy review that showcases good writing and books that are ignored by Major Media is awesome.
This piece contains an astonishing amount of zingers, mic drops, and scathing critiques about contemporary literature. It's also a damning reminder of why, despite being a contemporary novelist, I have little interest in reading most contemporary fiction coming out of the USA. When the specific gender of a novelist becomes the be-all-end-all of the story, well shit, say sayonara to good storytelling.
I'm actually pumped that TMR published a piece like this because I'm pretty sure most mags would be afraid to do so based on the topic alone (which I think only supports your point here, Django). I appreciate that this piece makes space to critique misogynistic writing, too, instead of simply criticizing contemporary female authors, and I personally really liked the vast number of examples of how both men and women fall short in showing us real and complex human beings (which I used to hope was the goal of literary fiction compared to, say, commercial fiction). I found the voice incredibly playful in its intensity (definitely going to start using Rigged for Her Pleasure lol). I hope TMR will publish more pieces like this that make people uncomfortable, especially if readers here disagree with the author, because in the literary sphere, it can sort of feel like everyone is tiptoeing to the same side, and that's rather dull.
I kept a screenshot of a note a still famous musician posted (then later quietly deleted) from their Tumblr in 2014. (I know, very 2014). It reads:
Don't flinch.
This day and age won't last forever.
It will come back to the real deal
And when it does
Everyone will look around
To take stock of who flinched
And who just kept to the art.
That achievement will be more high-tech
than any high technology.
This was wild.
Settling in for the comments section 🍿👀
This is genuinely a great piece on the dilemma of men in literary fiction, and pretty damn important if anyone wants a snowball's chance in hell of addressing the issue of young men in modern culture (especially in the West, especially after this past November). It's easy to curl up and get comfy in an echo chamber; it's much harder when reality comes a-knocking and you find yourself with comparatively paltry cultural offerings to the subject. A fantastic work of invigorating criticism, regardless of wherever you fall on the sociopolitical spectrum.
But they don't want a snowball's chance in hell. They'd have to give something up, and they don't want that.
I recently read Acts of Desperation by Megan Nolan (a good novel, btw) over a weekend and felt that part of what made it so easy to read was that it was immediately relatable, even though I'm not a woman. So even I can find it a compelling read despite being very different from the protagonist and author, how much more compelling would it be if I were?
We always ask why there's such a growing gender disparity these days when it comes to reading, let alone writing. One obvious answer is that it's very fun and flattering to always read about yourself. I've re-read Loner and The Love Affairs of Nathaniel P. numerous times because in many ways (not all of them a source of pride), I identify with the protagonists. While it's great to see things through other perspectives, it's also great to have your own experiences reflected back at you, letting you process them from a more removed position.
In shorts, young guys won't read more until there are more genuine young male characters being written.
"Loner" and "Affairs" are the two counterexamples to this trend I was waiting for, though it seems like Ellenhorn wants something even harsher than those? I'd defend both of them as just plainly engrossing while also refusing to flinch from the ugliness of characters of both genders, but yes, as you point out, they're only going to seem relatable if you went to a pretty elite college or are part of a social milieu where at least a few people went to one of those places.
I kind of feel like the horse is out of the barn, what with the video games and all. But you're right.
Thorough, thoughtful, and brutal.
Holy SHIT I love this Substack. Keep it coming. Don’t shorten any of the pieces
Really compelling. Also, and this is a bit adrift of your main point, but you're the only writer I've seen acknowledge something that I have been praising Rooney for all along (though I recognize you're not praising it, just pointing to it). She writes about what it's like to be a young woman, seeking love in the shadow of pornography -- and what love between men and women might look like in spite of it.
Broad in scope, good in noticing, as James Wood would say. Nailed Rooney and Lerner (and others), I would have nailed harder, but, hey...poor Fuccboi must be feeling the heat these days after this and the Sam Kriss essay in The Point. Nice work.
This was a. no holds barred essay. I’m 63 and have been married for almost forty years. I kept thinking as I was reading this that to know yourself as a man and as a man to know a woman it’s a huge advantage to have been in a long and successful marriage. You can’t create that level of intimate observation without putting in the time
This review has me scared of my own shadow! I have three stories in my short story manuscript that feature women as the protagonist—and other stories feature non-Native Americans as the protagonists. I'm re-reading my MS with this essay in mind.
Thank you for reading these books so I don’t have to, although I admit I liked The Topeka School because I lived in Lawrence for a couple of years. Also the debate rules appalled me. The mom is great.
Django, this was long but important, and brave of you to put it out there.
Thank you for reading all that literary fiction and not taking the gas pipe so you could tell us about it. I’ve known it was out there, but I’m already depressed, so never went near it.
OMG, this was beautiful, “cliterature.” Wonderful. Mind if I borrow it in future posts? It’s perfect.
“… after all the flogging of those dead gods, have men gotten any better at writing women?” This might come up in any review of my novel, The Fake Memoir of a Mid-List Writer.
Yes, what do women want, need, like, deserve… and can men ever really know and provide it? My male POV character is clueless, given his religious upbringing, his relative youthfulness, and the times, 1960s-1970s. I believe I’m rendered him honestly. We’ll see, if I can ever sneak him past the ‘cliterati’ and onto the book shelves.
By the way, you won’t find any male literary pandering in my latest. And that likely accounts for the great silence after my 18 months of querying.
Again, thank you for this wonderful, if discouraging, analysis.
A question. Given what you’ve uncovered and extrapolated on, would the Metropolitan Review (I’m a subscriber) ever consider looking at a ‘self-published’ work? I’m serious, as I am, apparently, walled off from the great ladies' literary machine.
Thank you!
Paul, thank you for this!
We are delighted to consider self-published works.
Lou, thanks for that. I have been both commercially published, 4X, and I’ve self published another six books. The book I would like to have reviewed, is not yet self-published. I’ve been querying agents and houses for 16 months to no avail. I’ve set my self a deadline. If I cannot find a house by June I will self-publish it.
One of the reasons I’ve been holding out so long is that self-published books are rarely reviewed by reputable review venues. The fact that you are willing to review self published books is wonderful. I do know that a lot of what is self-published is not very good, but I also know that there have to be some really good ones as well. I’ve had some nice comments on my book from the few people who have read it, but no critical reviews.
I will get back to you at the Metropolitan Review when the book is in the publishing process.
Thank you very much!
Best of luck with your queries, Paul, and congratulations on your ten published books! We look forward to hearing from you when you're ready.
Two self-published novels were displayed at our January launch party alongside other recent titles. We champion under-acknowledged and emerging voices, both in our selection of writers (this is Django's debut) and in the works we review.
Very glad you enjoyed this piece. Thank you for reading!
Lou, not to go on... But, what you're doing is much needed and you're likely one of the first, if not the first. A literate, smart and classy review that showcases good writing and books that are ignored by Major Media is awesome.
Thank you!
What a nice shot in the arm! Thanks anew, Paul.
1) Wow
2) Have you read any recent Jonathan Lethem, esp. The Arrest? I think this is what happened to him
Great piece of criticism! I'm really enjoying The Metropolitan Review. Bring it on.
This piece contains an astonishing amount of zingers, mic drops, and scathing critiques about contemporary literature. It's also a damning reminder of why, despite being a contemporary novelist, I have little interest in reading most contemporary fiction coming out of the USA. When the specific gender of a novelist becomes the be-all-end-all of the story, well shit, say sayonara to good storytelling.