Not to be outdone by art critics who proclaim many contemporary successful artists as “overrated”, literary critic Anis Shivani has also joined in on the always popular pastime of celebrity shit slinging:
The 15 Most Overrated Contemporary American Writers, By Anis Shivani
Shortly afterwards, several others jumped on the bandwagon:
15 Reactions to Shivani’s 15 Overrated American Writers
Feted British authors are limited, arrogant and self-satisfied, says leading academic
Don’t Believe the Hype: 10 Overrated Canadian Authors
Perhaps those who make up these “overrated” and “underrated” lists are just as guilty of hype, narcissism, and pomposity as the artists and authors they criticise?
Writer’s Blues.
Seated in a quiet corner in his favorite restaurant,
the barren-minded writer waits patiently
for a seizure of etymological inspiration.
It’s been days since he has eaten and
perhaps longer since he has really slept,
for the agony of non expression is a
leech upon his every desire.
Unmoved by the sophistication of the truckers,
or the beauty of the waitresses and prostitutes;
and so untouched by the artistic vibrance
of the orange and red interior,
the turquoise diner seats, and the
Choking Victim posters adorning the walls,
the writer assimilates in undisturbed silence —
night after night —
until even he no longer hears the
occasional regular who leans close
to another, then points and says:
“You see that guy over there in the corner?
… He’s a writer!”
— Adam Donaldson Powell, from “Collected poems and stories”, Cyberwit Publishing, 2005.
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