Writers & Lovers: A Novel

An author is trying to give you an immersive adventure.

The protagonist is a writer.

But don’t let that turn you off.

It’s kinda like a musician. They’ve got their whole life to write their first album, but less than a year for the second and at some point in the future they talk about being on the road and how hard that is and…

It’s hard to relate.

We live in a country based on income. That’s the only marker. Especially now that credibility has gone out the window. Used to be how good a person you were, but if you’re not wealthy today, you don’t count.

Then there is academia.

Unless you’re a household name writer, you’ve probably got a gig at a college, teaching writing. Yes, even if you’ve had a well-reviewed book in the “New York Times,” chances are you are not rich, that you need the supplemental income.

So there’s a whole world, a complete industry, of less than successful authors teaching others to be writers. Kinda like music business school, but with some creative talent involved. We don’t need more passionate people in the music industry, we need entrepreneurs, people who can think outside the box, who can push the envelope. And too many of these writing factories turn out books that only appeal to those who’ve gone through the sausage-making writing factories themselves.

You hear that writing is rewriting.

I couldn’t disagree more.

And to tell you the truth, much of what is considered literature I find unreadable. Because the writers are so busy impressing their friends, the writing industry, that each sentence is dense, it doesn’t sound like real people, and the story takes a back seat, if it’s even in the car to begin with. Think of a record made with ace studio musicians, that sounds perfect, but with lame songs, you’ve got it.

But in “Writers & Lovers” Lily King seems to bridge both worlds. It’s kind of amazing in fact. You can tell the book was rewritten, to conform to the ethos, but the story flows nonetheless.

This book called out to me. I loved living in its world. It was easy to read and I wanted to read it. Which is a far cry from much of which is hyped.

So, Casey is a struggling writer.

Now most writers don’t make it. And most musicians don’t either.

But there are two layers of wannabe musician. Those living off their parents’ largesse, and those struggling to get by. Forget those who’ve achieved success, that’s a different world with different problems. But while you’re woodshedding in music, writing, rehearsing, learning, you’re either close to broke or driving the car your parents bought you and servicing it on their credit card.

This is a world we’re rarely exposed to. Educated, talented people on the wrong side of income inequality. The underprivileged underclass gets all the ink. But those who’ve chosen the path less taken? They’re seen as losers.

Or, they’ve got a backup plan. They’ll try for three to five years and then they’ll go straight. Become a lawyer, marry someone rich, so they can have some of the perks of life, like health insurance and a house.

And then there are those who are lifers.

But not all of them make it.

Casey is living in a potting shed, her landlord is an overbearing friend of her brother, who lives across the country. She works as a server, i.e. a waitress. The restaurant is upscale, but comes with its own issues. She’s developing skills at the restaurant, but how many of them are transferable to the world she desires to inhabit?

So, she’s writing.

But she has a best friend and…

She’s got love interests.

One thing about working at a restaurant…you’re interacting with people. Too many writers do not. Sure, you get insight at the restaurant, but you also get camaraderie, social interaction, that satisfies your soul. But, you could be drifting to nowhere.

So, Casey’s got her work friends, a successful writer friend, she rides her bike to work, but…

She’s got her love life.

That’s what seals the deal here.

Her family background is complicated. Her mother just died and she used to be a golf prodigy and…every childhood is different, just like every family is different. Then again, the winning families too often are similar. The parents make beaucoup bucks and the kids went to private school and were the beneficiaries of all these enrichment programs, like digging wells in Africa and…

You learn the most from those who are different from you. But unlike in the sixties and seventies, there’s been pushback against lifting up the disadvantaged, the privileged don’t want their space being taken. Kinda like the rich…they don’t mind if you have more money, they just don’t want to sacrifice any of their own.

So, Casey attends a writers’ retreat.

This is another thing about the world of literature. It’s sponsored. There’s a whole game of residencies and grants and…prizes too. You read about all these awards academics and writers get…take them with a grain of salt. Oh, the recipients might be deserving, but the truth is they’ve kissed butt and worked their way up the awards ladder. They didn’t get that MacArthur genius grant out of the blue.

Yes, it’s a scam.

But life isn’t.

And how do you run your life? Do you go for your goals, putting everything on the line, or do you compromise? You can’t have it both ways. You can’t work at Apollo and be a rock star, you can’t go to med school and be a Broadway actor.

So, while some are notching their belts, there are others throwing the long ball, that may never be caught.

So, on one hand I have contempt for the world of writing. The authors go to the best graduate school they can get into, where they’re all taught to do it the same way. This was illustrated well in the final season of “Girls,” when Hannah/Lena Dunham goes to the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, the Harvard of the world, and doesn’t fit in, and ultimately drops out.

These people spend years writing and rewriting their novels. Casey’s taken six. And most of them end up going nowhere, if they’re published at all.

I believe writers are born, not made. Same as musicians. You’ve either got the talent or you don’t. Someone can teach you to be a journeyman, but they can’t teach you to be new and different, can’t teach you inspiration, can’t teach you to be better than all the rest, all that depends upon you. Sure, you can have a little coaching, but the key is not to beat out the creativity in those who can grab the brass ring. Too often education makes you conform, when we’re truly looking for the nonconformists.

Skills are not enough. We learn this all the time with television singing programs. There’s a winner, with good pipes, but no hits, because they cannot write. Whereas someone with a more colored voice, who could never win the competition, composes something that touches our hearts.

Then you’ve got Lily King, who jumped through all the writing industry hoops, and delivered “Writers & Lovers.” Proving there’s an exception to every rule.

So, if you’re a fan of non-fiction, “Writers & Lovers” is not for you.

But if you’ve got more questions than answers, if you want to retreat to a place where it’s about feelings, emotions, choices… Reading “Writers & Lovers” is about opening a door to a whole world, that is strangely your own. Meanwhile, the door shut behind you. It’s only you in this new world. And the characters.

I’ve read so many mediocre books during lockdown. Many highly reviewed. I just don’t get what the industry sees in them. It’s like they check certain boxes but that’s all they do, they do not possess the je ne sais quoi that draws you to a book, that makes you hold it close to your heart, that makes you feel all warm and fuzzy when you read it, that makes you feel human and alive.

Reading should not be a chore, but an experience. Sure, movies and TV can be incredible, but rarely. You just sit there passively in your chair and take it all in.

But a book?

As you read it your mind is set free, it starts to wander, to previous experiences in your life, to your hopes and dreams, to your choices.

Somehow, the publishing industry has lost touch with the public. It’s too insular, just like the writing industry itself. Whereas books should be a big tent. That’s the advantage of the written word, it can be more encompassing than any other medium, it can open your mind at the same time it resonates.

Then again, it’s the educational system that turns people off to literature. Making readers jump through hoops of books taught by boring teachers. And, as you move up the food chain, to college and graduate school, it’s all analysis of technique, deeper meanings, when first and foremost a book should be an adventure, a ride at Disneyland, it’s truly all about what the reader feels.

And what the reader feels is valid. It’s the same with listening. You can’t explain why you like the track, it just hits you in a certain way.

I won’t say “Writers & Lovers” is a chick book. But too often men deny their feelings. Yet, if you’re open to yours, you’re gonna love “Writers & Feelings,” male or female.

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Your opinion counts. But if you express it, expect blowback.

There is no center. You are in charge as much as anybody.

Theoretically you can reach everybody, but it’s nearly impossible. Be thrilled you have followers/fans at all. If they’re bonded to you, they’ll spread the word on you. But it will be an ultra-slow process.

No one helps you on the road to fame without payment, other than your fans.

Mainstream media means less than ever before, and it really only reaches oldsters, who tend not to react. If you’ve got an oldster audience, a publicist will take your money, might even get you some ink, but you’re better off knowing who your audience is to begin with and e-mailing them.

Everybody believes they’re powerful and count. So, if you try to imply that you’re more powerful than they are, bigger in any way, expect blowback. This is what the internet has wrought, everybody’s got a voice, and just like politics are divided, every issue and everybody has a take. If you’re playing for everybody to like you, you’re doing it wrong, that just means you’re blanding it down to nothing.

Skill is underrated but ever more valuable. If you know how to play your instrument, that counts. But, the studio is also an instrument. As are turntables, creating samples and working synths.

The hit parade is dominated by the young, but never has the hit parade meant less.

Spotify hits don’t necessarily translate into ticket sales. Proving, once again, that listeners are fans of the track, not the act. Everything moves ultra-fast in today’s society. So, you’re big today, and forgotten tomorrow.

The channel is cluttered. You can cheat, by aligning yourself with someone with a bigger audience, but it’s going to be a long hard slog.

If you don’t rap, if you’re not hip-hop, if you don’t base your music on the 808, you will be considered second class, the recording industry and the media that feeds on it will laugh at you. But the laugh is on them.

Careers are made on the road. I know, I know, for most of this decade careers were made on the internet. But with so many tracks and so few genres exposed on hit charts, the best way to make it is by slogging it out on stage. Also, it used to be festivals were only about the headliners. Now, the smorgasbord is a key attraction. You don’t want to play at noon to nobody, but if you can appear in the middle of the afternoon or later, there are a lot of grazers who will check you out. Be sure to play every festival extant. Other than the biggies, like Coachella, Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo, ACL and Outside Lands…the festivals tend to be local. In other words, your music will be new to the audience. You might get complaints from business people you’re overdoing it, but not from people who are just discovering you.

The Covid-19 era is about recordings. Now is the time to dig deep and do your best work. Don’t lose touch with your audience completely. Do the occasional live stream. But if you can afford it, pull back and double-down on your material, maybe even release some rehearsal tapes or some video from the studio, assuming it won’t inhibit your creative process.

If you make your living on the road and you’re struggling, don’t complain, get in bed with your audience. You’re now on their level, worrying about your job, whether you can make it through, whether the government needs to send more money. Don’t worry about offending anybody. Turns out most at home are on the same page. Just look at the polls. The protesters on the Capital steps get a lot of ink, but most people are at home and are scared.

Sympathy, not outrageousness, unless outrageousness is your stock in trade.

You can always learn. Now is the time to get better at your skills.

3-D. A musician is a person. You have interests. The more you talk about them, the more people will bond to you. Sure, some may ignore you, because they just don’t care, but those who do will be stunned that you’re just like they are.

Fantasy music about a superior lifestyle doesn’t work today. Covid-19 knows nothing about wealth or skin color, we’re all in the same boat. If you can structure your material around humanity, now is the time.

Don’t keep telling people you’ve written your best song ever, that it’s your best work. No one believes that tired trope anymore. Sure, reporters reprint it, but no one is reading the words of those reporters. Let the material speak for you.

Instant notoriety means less than ever before. You dropped the track and everybody’s talking about it! But is everybody listening to it more than once? Sales metrics are irrelevant. Now it’s all about long term acceptance.

The landscape is no longer cohesive. Every genre is its own lane, more and more. Because the other genres don’t appeal to listeners, they want to go deep into what they’re into. Yes, there are those in the younger generation who hop genres, but as the world has become more cluttered, this happens less and less. We see this evidenced in the world at large. You’re pro-Trump or anti-Trump, no one is in-between. No one is wishy-washy, everybody’s got an opinion. People want someone to believe in, hopefully it’s you.

She’s nobody from nowhere.

You’ve got to listen to this podcast

“The Big Steal”

It’s all about Putin’s kleptocracy.

A reader recommended it. It’s about the transition in Russia from communism to autocracy, with a bit of supposed democracy in between. We keep reading about Putin’s crimes, but they never get any traction. I remember “Vanity Fair” did a whole piece on graft in the creation of the infrastructure at Sochi, but it was too soon, it was pre-Trump, if you read it today…

Then again, despite having a moment, which actually lasted twenty years, the written word is fading again, being superseded by pictures on Instagram and audio on podcasts. Yes, the technology has gotten to the point where phones have better cameras than the ones you used to buy separately and if you stream at all, you have an unlimited plan, so why not listen to a podcast in the car?

Actually, if you’re pressed for time, you can get away with listening to just the first and seventh episodes of “The Big Steal.” The first sets the stage, tells you what is going on in Russia. The seventh covers Putin’s disinformation campaign, which he uses to upset democracy throughout the developed world.

If you listen to the entire podcast you’ll also learn that Russia has no money and Putin’s all bravado. He’s the world’s richest man, but he knows if he loses power he’ll be broke, but he’ll probably be killed first. So, he holds on to power with an iron fist.

“The Big Steal” is utterly fascinating. It covers Bill Browder, the Magnitsky Act and “Red Notice,” which I’ve written about before,

Red Notice

but the podcast gives more context, it’s not so personal, knowledge is power, and it’s also thrilling, you’ll listen to “The Big Steal” and pontificate about it and Russia to all your friends.

Sarah Kendzior calls Trump’s administration a kleptocracy.

Not that I knew who she was. I knew she wrote that book “The View From Flyover Country,” but that was it. Actually, I knew the book, not her name. But then my friend and webmaster Jeff told me to DVR her on Seth Myers. She was hyping her book, but late night shows are all about humor, ever since David Letterman, there’s no substance, and Jeff apologized for her the lack of protein in her appearance and sent me her new book “Hidden in Plain Sight” and…

I was intrigued.

It always happens this way. For all the hype in the media, we really only trust our friends.

So I saw Sarah was appearing on last week’s L.A. Bookfest, and playing around on my phone in a funk, I decided to pull up the stream.

Sarah was in conversation with Connie Schultz, who is married to Sherrod Brown.

Now one thing you’ve got to know about the book business is it’s positively ancient. It’s still living in the last century. Not only is its goal to protect physical, believing price points are everything, despite music and streaming TV proving otherwise, but its marketing is positively lame, it doesn’t know how to get the word out. Watching a book event is like viewing an SNL skit. These people take themselves so seriously, what world are they living in?

That was the host, who threw it to Connie.

And Connie and Sarah are acting so friendly. There’s been a bunch of stories recently how countries run by women have done much better in the coronavirus era. And one thing about women, they converse differently from men. For all the alpha females in TV dramas, for all the “Housewives” shows, most women are enthusiastic and want to get along and have no trouble being friendly and making conversation, whereas with men it’s all about climbing the totem pole, or you can see them being obsequious, kissing ass.

So, Connie asks Sarah questions and I’m intrigued. Because Sarah is so normal, she’s not media-trained, and she says things that are taboo.

Like she has no hope. Didn’t Obama run on hope?

And she also said we’re all waiting for someone to save us, we believe there’s some bigger power that’s gonna stand up to the insanity, but that is patently untrue.

And I’m watching Sarah and I realize…

She’s a rock star.

And I was going to tell you this last week, but they took the video of the Bookfest down, and I felt you had to see it to get it.

The truth is it takes longer than ever to make it. Sure, you can be hyped by the machine and get some traction, but the machine always needs something new, which means you’re suddenly old, and forgotten.

And my inbox is inundated with musicians bitching. Angry their cheese was moved, that the pre-internet label deals no longer exist, and pissed that they’re not stars.

They’ve just got no perspective.

Sarah Kendzior has been at it for YEARS! She’s 42, and she didn’t get any real traction until 2010. Now I’m here telling you about her, because you should know.

She lives in St. Louis. The aforementioned flyover country.

The truth is there is no flyover country anymore. Everybody’s got broadband and mobile. But the coasts pooh-pooh the people in-between. They think they’re irrelevant and have no clue what is going on. And then suddenly Sarah says Trump is gonna win in 2016 and collects her essays in “The Flyover Country” and she’s Hillary Clinton’s big expert after she loses the election.

You see people are drawn to truth. We all know it, very few say it. And those who do say it oftentimes have no commitment, they say it and move on, whereas to have impact you’ve got to do the hard work.

Sarah has a Ph.D. In anthropology. Her thesis was all about autocracy in Uzbekistan.

I bet you can’t find the country on a map, but that’s not the point. While you were home practicing your instrument, honing your craft, angry that no-talents were usurping your place in the hit parade, you were paying dues, you were taking steps on the long road to a career. You want it right away, anything easy is not worth having, you’ve got to work hard to get to your goals.

So, we live in a world where expertise is pooh-poohed and if you live in St. Louis you’re irrelevant. Sarah was actually contacted for a story about rural America. She told the producer that St. Louis has 3 million residents. That’s how dumb those on the coasts are.

But it gets worse.

But before I get there, I was sold on Sarah Kendzior by watching her on the L.A. Bookfest. Proving, once again, you’ve got to give it your all each and every time, because you never know who will be watching.

And chances are you’re gonna have to give it your best for years before anybody significant notices. Because there are just that many media messages in a world where people are already overwhelmed. They need great, but they haven’t got time to wade through the detritus to find it. But when they do, they tell everybody about it, like I am doing with Sarah.

So, Jeff sent me the new book, “Hiding in Plain Sight.” And it’s hard to get into a book. Getting over the hump is the hardest part. But I was intrigued, I’m not much for non-fiction, but I kept going back to it.

And I wanted more.

So I listened to her podcast, “Gaslit Nation.” And Sarah said she wasn’t worried about her reputation. HUH? Isn’t your reputation what you’re protecting, isn’t it everything?

Also, Sarah has death threats. Because if you speak the truth, those in power don’t like it. Believe me, I know.

So, last Sunday I wanted to write about the path Sarah Kendzior took to becoming a rock star.

Today, I want to talk about what she’s saying.

First and foremost, not only does she live in St. Louis, she’s on the borderline between Gen-X and the Millennials, and no one wants to listen to those people. And she’s married with two kids.

In other words, Sarah Kendzior grew up through all the turmoil. The switch to the internet, the consequences of income inequality, the economic crash.

Her first gig after college was at the “New York Daily News.” Paid 40k in 2000.

Today that job is done by an unpaid intern.

After getting her doctorate, she was ready to interview for an academic job. She couldn’t afford the trips on her own dime, and when she brought this up she was told to ask her parents.

That’s a big theme of “Hiding in Plain Sight.” How the elites control everything. It’s a club, and they protect each other, and you’re not in it.

“Hiding in Plain Sight” is heavily researched, with footnotes. Sarah is constantly railing that despite facts, no one in mainstream media followed up on these stories. She posits writers don’t want to alienate their brethren. Yes, the privileged class, those with money who went to good schools, have now permeated everything…government, finance, media, entertainment.

Come on, you see the talking heads on TV. They’re all impeccably groomed, speaking in the same monotone. It’s all gravitas all the time.

Meanwhile, hell goes on all around them.

Those are the reporters. The pundits? The opinion shows? They’re buffoons, usually discounted because they’re one-sided and one-sided only.

And at this point Sarah is invited on these shows. Not that people can hear the truth, not that they can amplify the truth. As for pundits…she’s got a friend who was a regular guest who is now broke. You see you do it free for exposure. But the dirty little secret is the exposure usually leads to no monetary reward.

Sarah goes into Ferguson. How the media’s coverage was a drive-by. They didn’t go where the action was and interviewed interlopers and then disappeared, even though the problems persist. Sarah lives five miles from Ferguson. But people don’t want to listen to her, but the coastal experts who control the media.

Now we’ve got right wing bozos like Milo Yiannopoulos, who blew himself up and then disappeared. And bomb-throwers like Ann Coulter who just want attention, and to get paid for it. They’re cartoons. To the point where you tune out, because you’re sick of the Animaniacs.

But that’s what Putin wants. To muddy the water of truth and to get you so overwhelmed that you tune out.

Forget Russia interfering with U.S. elections, sans Putin there’s a very good chance that Brexit never would have happened. Trump may only get four years, but Brexit is FOREVER! Impacting the finances not only of the U.K., but the remaining European Union!

Not that Sarah only attacks Trump. She goes after Obama. Because the truth is Obama was compromised too. And Biden wants to return us to a past we’re not enamored of. But Sarah says we’ve got to vote for Biden. Not that she thinks Trump will leave.

You see Sarah Kendzior keeps going back to her education, her Ph.D., her study of autocracies. We keep saying it can’t happen here, but it is!

This is not about tribes. This is not about protesting, which she believes is essentially useless today, because the criminals in charge of things know they’ll never be held accountable, why should they listen to whiners?

This is about our country. Irrelevant of whether you consider yourself to be on the right or the left. There’s an elite club, of corporate titans, financiers, government officials, the media and Jeffrey Epstein who control the world, you may think the voters do, but they don’t. And they absolutely do not want to give up power. They’ll do whatever they want, tell you whatever you want to hear, but nothing is gonna change. You’re busting your ass to stay afloat and if they don’t have cash, their buddies will take care of them.

This is a perspective we have not heard. From someone living in the Midwest, of an ignored age. It’s refreshing.

Do I agree with absolutely everything Sarah Kendzior is saying?

No, but I’m absolutely sure it’s her truth, that’s she’s not sugarcoating anything, not telling any lies to get ahead.

It’s been going on for forty years folks, and Sarah has blown the whistle. The rich have gotten richer, the government has been stripped and the powerful are ever more so.

You want to believe someone is on your page. That there’s someone to listen to, to inspire you, who is not a product of plastic surgery made for consumer consumption. Someone real, just like you, who has a 3-D life, who just wants a better future for her kids.

That’s Sarah Kendzior.

P.S. Yes, that L.A. Bookfest video is down, so I recommend you listen to the episode of Gaslit Nation wherein Sarah talks about “Hiding in Plain Sight.” There’s some amateurish girl talk at first, and the interviewer can go on for too long at times, but the essence is there:

Hiding in Plain Sight: Sarah Kendzior Answers Your Questions

P.P.S. Or don’t do any of the above, don’t read her books, listen to her podcast, move on down the line. But now you know her name, you’ll be aware the next time you see or hear it. That’s how you build a career these days. By hacking away forever, being as great as you can be all the time, and waiting for word to spread. And believe me, if you’re great and telling the truth, people will notice.

“Hiding in Plain Sight: The Invention of Donald Trump and the Erosion of America”