For far too long people have stood on the sidelines, watching as culture turned to steam. It is entirely acceptable for great work to go unnoticed. It is acceptable because people who are supposed to be doing a job don’t care, are too lazy to even respond to an email. Let’s take one industry: publishing. Writers can’t be arsed to write well, publishers can’t be arsed to support new talent or spend money on talent, journalists can’t be arsed to support new presses by writing features or reviews and writers understand that only backed work sells, only when your best mate is head editor, or when you’re in the right club, so they can’t be arsed to write etc. People are too tired and depressed to do anything because they’ve learnt how the world works, or stumbles along drunk and hazy. The answer is: leave it, forget it, turn your back and embrace anything that pays the bills, that brings in the hits and guarantees mass market participation. (more…)