tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32576041.post116248325970844590..comments2023-05-19T03:37:29.269-07:00Comments on [tk]: It's a dirty job, but they pay clean money for it.nathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10978764989360943906noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32576041.post-1162583751609687132006-11-03T11:55:00.000-08:002006-11-03T11:55:00.000-08:00Like I said, it's easy to go all conspiracy-minded...Like I said, it's easy to go all conspiracy-minded with these things. Vincent Lam thanks Michael Winter at the back of his book! Randy Boyagoda is Clarkson's fellow Penguin author, but didn't make it off the longlist. Could this have anything to do with the unflattering portrait of the Governor General in his novel? Carol Windley writes vaguely Munro-esque short stories!<BR/><BR/>A Penguin-heavy jury delivers a Penguin-heavy shortlist... with no Penguin books on it!<BR/><BR/>There's more twists to this than a barrel full of pretzels....<BR/><BR/>I think the point about the similar aesthetic perspective is a good one, on the other hand. I think the real conspiracy at work with these things is a benign one, and one that exists across the board. Editors, agents, prize juries have to wade through a lot of shit, which tends to result in sudden bursts of enthusiasm for any sign of talent or competence. I'm guilty of this, and so is everyone I know who has to go through slush piles for a living. After a while, I'm sure you start to adjust your expectations, start looking for consistency and congeniality. <BR/><BR/>Not saying this fully explains the Giller shortlists, or the state of Canadian writing, for that matter, but I think it plays a role. So few writers live up to their potential, it's easy to become risk-averse, and to internalize that aversion to the point that it becomes invisible and unconscious.nathanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10978764989360943906noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32576041.post-1162580453011168442006-11-03T11:00:00.000-08:002006-11-03T11:00:00.000-08:00I take a much less trusting position. All you have...I take a much less trusting position. All you have to do is look at the track record. Statistically, past Giller juries have been stacked with what are now Betelsmann authors (Random House/M&S) who have awarded the prize to others from the same stable. Is it a conscious decision? I would not rule out that possibility, but does it even matter, given the results? They are all functioning from a similar aesthetic perspective. A similar dynamic seems to influence the GGs, which tends to have a more diverse jury, and thus more diverse lists. (And I don't mean that diversity is necessarily better. The GG has gone to some shockingly bad books in recent years.)<BR/><BR/>Let's remember that Winter is published by Anansi, and has just signed on with Penguin. Clarkson and her husband are also published by Penguin and Anansi. And Munro has published numerous books at Penguin. Stack the Giller jury with Anansi/Penguin authors and suddenly you have an Anansi/Penguin-heavy shortlist.Ognir Rratshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02516249230939063032noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32576041.post-1162575050065881022006-11-03T09:30:00.000-08:002006-11-03T09:30:00.000-08:00I think there is probably a certain naiveté at wor...I think there is probably a certain naiveté at work in the notion that the Giller jury (like the Academy of Motion Picure Arts and Sciences, etc.) is, or could possibly be, completely unbiased. There's obviously a measure of subjectivity involved in chosing a shortlist of "best" books, which is why it's been suggested that when you pick the jury for a prize like this, you effectively pick the winner.<BR/><BR/>And, if the jury was to have an agenda, better it be to give good but underexposed writers a shot at the limelight, secure in the knowledge that people will read the big shots anyway.<BR/><BR/>But, I still like to think that the jury remains as impartial as possible and, to the best of their abilities, judges each book on its merits. I'm comfy in my utopian little world, for now at least.<BR/><BR/>Thanks for the link, Nathan. And the comments function seems to be working fine.<BR/><BR/>Cheers,<BR/><BR/>swbSteven W. Beattiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05269303081084442197noreply@blogger.com