Re: the graphic novel not being worthy of an award... wow, what narrow thinking! there are so many graphic novels out there worthy of awards. i wonder if he has seen any of them (maus, blankets, understanding comics, etc.) i work in a library and i see lots of trashy graphic novels, yeah, but there are also a lot of really good ones. and if someone has created one that's really worthy, and people think it's worthy of a nomination, i don't think you should limit its possibilities of winning by refusing its genre.
In fairness: I think the article could be read as saying that the graphic novel isn't worthy of an award as a novel just because it isn't a novel, and I think there's some truth to that. Just like it might be inappropriate to give the Nobel prize for literature to a painter who creates a great work of visual art: the claim wouldn't be that the work doesn't deserve an award, but that it doesn't deserve that particular award. The prize for novels is all about the words alone; what makes a graphic novel a good or bad one is quite a lot different.
The writer of the linked article wasn't clear as to whether that's what he meant, or if he was summarily dismissing the entire medium of graphic novels from being worthwhile at all. I'm trying to give him the benefit of the doubt.
I suppose if he builds a time machine he could do something about Maus's 1992 Pulitzer, or Sandman's 1991 World Fantasy Award for Best Short Story, or Chris Ware's Jimmy Corrigan winning the 2001 Guardian First Book Award, or even Watchmen's appearance on Time's Hundred Best Novels of the 20th Century list. Lacking a Time Machine, it seems a rather silly and antiquated argument, like hearing someone complain that women have the vote or that be-bop music and crooners are turning up in the pop charts.
I like the bit where he says that he hasn't read the comic in question, but he just knows what things like that are like. It's always best to be offended by things you haven't read. That way you keep your mind uncluttered by things that might change it.
Seems to be pretty squarely addressing the "it's not a novel therefore it shouldn't get a novel award" point.
If literature is about words alone, then to draw a clear enough line you would have to disallow anything with illustrations, or judge it with all of the illustrations removed. For the children's category in particular, this would be madness. Lewis Carroll depends directly on the presence of illustrations in a few places. Edward Gorey and Dr. Seuss are right out.
What does he mean by "the genre"? Given that American Born Chinese collects three stories in different genres (mythology, reality, and satire), the only plausible "genre" might be "Asian-American", but I think it's more likely that he just means comic books, in which case he's plain ignorant.
If literature is about words alone, then to draw a clear enough line you would have to disallow anything with illustrations, or judge it with all of the illustrations removed.
Yes, maybe you should.
For the children's category in particular, this would be madness.
The most famous children's book awards have separate categories for words and illustrations.
However, even if you want to mix the two: I think a useful distinction can be drawn between "novel with illustrations in it" and "graphic novel". Very few works are genuinely hard to classify as one or the other. And I think it's okay to have an award that is for one of those types of work and say that works of the other type are not eligible to receive it; and doing that doesn't mean that you're calling the ineligible type of work worthless.
Also, the fact that some major awards for novels have been awarded to graphic novels doesn't mean that others should be. The people in charge of each award are free to decide for themselves what they think fits the definition of eligible works for their award. There's no contradiction in saying that graphic novels - all graphic novels, across the board - should be ineligible for one particular "novel" award, while also saying that it's okay for a particular graphic novel to have received some other "novel" award.
What does he mean by "the genre"?
I think it's pretty clear that he means the medium. Not knowing the difference indicates that he's stupid, but doesn't automatically mean that the other things he says must all be incorrect.
A) There's nothing in the entry guidelines which require a book to be a novel; merely that it is a "book," and that it is either a work of fiction, or non-fiction, so as to adhere to a specific category. What is this guy's possible issue with a panel of judges electing a book which also contains images? What a dipshit.
B) As someone with 14,000 songs in my iTunes (well, in my Listen), I can honestly say that I have been heartbroken at misplacing even one of those songs.
In conclusion, who the hell is this guy, and what the hell business does he have at such a purportedly forward-thinking magazine? What good is it to pop five hundred boners over a prototype of an invisibility poncho if you can't even understand how people would use a 30G iPod, or haven't caught on that POW! BANG!, comics aren't just for kids anymore?
I suppose it's always good to have a luddite on-hand for grouchy op-ed pieces, but I sure would be better served by someone who was interested in starting a discussion instead of demanding one by way of being inflammatory. Nothing to raise some e-hackles like implying that opening an artistic field to the common man by way of making its tools affordable waters that artform down to the point of uselessness! I sure would love to see that guy's wax cylinder collection.
> How many so-called graphic artists out there can't draw a straight line?
EGG-ZACTLY. This is the same reason why I only drive across bridges whose engineering calculations were completed solely by hand.
The product is irrelevant. The process of making it is all that matters.
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2006-10-27 04:40 pm (UTC)p.s. 7,438 in iTunes...
no subject
Date: 2006-10-27 05:10 pm (UTC)The writer of the linked article wasn't clear as to whether that's what he meant, or if he was summarily dismissing the entire medium of graphic novels from being worthwhile at all. I'm trying to give him the benefit of the doubt.
no subject
Date: 2006-10-27 05:55 pm (UTC)Seems to be pretty squarely addressing the "it's not a novel therefore it shouldn't get a novel award" point.
no subject
Date: 2006-10-27 06:56 pm (UTC)What does he mean by "the genre"? Given that American Born Chinese collects three stories in different genres (mythology, reality, and satire), the only plausible "genre" might be "Asian-American", but I think it's more likely that he just means comic books, in which case he's plain ignorant.
no subject
Date: 2006-10-27 07:21 pm (UTC)Yes, maybe you should.
For the children's category in particular, this would be madness.
The most famous children's book awards have separate categories for words and illustrations.
However, even if you want to mix the two: I think a useful distinction can be drawn between "novel with illustrations in it" and "graphic novel". Very few works are genuinely hard to classify as one or the other. And I think it's okay to have an award that is for one of those types of work and say that works of the other type are not eligible to receive it; and doing that doesn't mean that you're calling the ineligible type of work worthless.
Also, the fact that some major awards for novels have been awarded to graphic novels doesn't mean that others should be. The people in charge of each award are free to decide for themselves what they think fits the definition of eligible works for their award. There's no contradiction in saying that graphic novels - all graphic novels, across the board - should be ineligible for one particular "novel" award, while also saying that it's okay for a particular graphic novel to have received some other "novel" award.
What does he mean by "the genre"?
I think it's pretty clear that he means the medium. Not knowing the difference indicates that he's stupid, but doesn't automatically mean that the other things he says must all be incorrect.
no subject
Date: 2006-10-27 04:47 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-10-27 05:17 pm (UTC)Yeah, but 5,237 of them are by Interrobang Cartel.
no subject
Date: 2006-10-27 07:23 pm (UTC)B) As someone with 14,000 songs in my iTunes (well, in my Listen), I can honestly say that I have been heartbroken at misplacing even one of those songs.
In conclusion, who the hell is this guy, and what the hell business does he have at such a purportedly forward-thinking magazine? What good is it to pop five hundred boners over a prototype of an invisibility poncho if you can't even understand how people would use a 30G iPod, or haven't caught on that POW! BANG!, comics aren't just for kids anymore?
no subject
Date: 2006-10-27 07:50 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-10-27 08:26 pm (UTC)I suppose it's always good to have a luddite on-hand for grouchy op-ed pieces, but I sure would be better served by someone who was interested in starting a discussion instead of demanding one by way of being inflammatory. Nothing to raise some e-hackles like implying that opening an artistic field to the common man by way of making its tools affordable waters that artform down to the point of uselessness! I sure would love to see that guy's wax cylinder collection.
no subject
Date: 2006-10-27 09:50 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-10-28 09:11 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-10-27 10:01 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-10-27 10:10 pm (UTC)