At the beginning of the 20th century we could find the literary and artistic scene in Paris, France. Hemingway, Picasso, Modigliani, Stein, Fitzgerald, ... they all found their way to the city of light and made their best works there.
Is such a centre of creativity still possible? Does it still exist? Is it necessary?
Such a center was never necessary. It's perhaps remarkable that all those particular people were there with each other, but there were tons of contemporary writers and artists having little or nothing to do with Paris, weren't there? Insofar as it was just a group of artists hanging out and energizing each other, then yes it's still possible.
Maybe we're on it right now...
I'd like to have such a center. Who'd like to create it with me?
The new literary capital of the US is Vegas, baby.
I thought it was Brooklyn...
I do think a literary scene has its uses, but the internet has really shaken that up. Being around other writers and sharing your work with them is an important part of a writer's development, but it also creates other connections. I've had publications that were as much a result of my knowing people as the quality of my writing. I met the publisher of my collection through writing friends, and several other local writers have been sharing it with their fans.
But I think it is almost as possible for a literary scene to be online, these days, as it is for it to be located geographically.
The new literary scene is online. Maybe, if you need physical people to bounce ideas off, then I think the North West is where the movers and shakers are located. The North East is more for the reclusive writers.
*Disclaimer: This is my opinion and in no way represents reality.
Is such a centre of creativity still possible? Does it still exist? Is it necessary?
Maybe, we won't know until we are very old, not in the hunter gather sense of the word.
Ever thought you should just try to start one?
How does one go about doing this?
I've decided that I will try and start a literary journal to at least reach out to the literary scene in Las Vegas, as well as to further my name and others' in this shithole city. We seem to have other recent businesses develop with a similar goal in mind. With their help hopefully I'll flood this city in physical copies of journal issues and chapbooks.
If you want to start one maybe just get excited, encourage other around you. Act as if. As if you are published, as if the ones you find are the coolest people in the universe, as if you have a ten inch dick. Whatever it takes. Don't lie, just act like those things or whatever else you feel like needs to be true already is. Like today I acted like my writing group had a room reserved and everyone just went with it.
Vegas would be a great place to start a literary movement. It's full of shiftless losers and depraved, soulless lunatics. Most of them probably do a litte writing in between the drinking and whoring.
I remember Detroit was trying to start up a literary scene by offering writers free houses. I think they were having trouble coming up with the money for it, though. Chicago seems to do pretty well with it. I think Lawrence, KS has a pretty decent one, but I am biased. We do have a very active writers group that pushes each other, and a community that is very supportive of the arts.
But Vegas would definitely give you some things to write about.
It's probably NYC. But online is a good answer, seems like more and more people are connecting and working together virtually, hooking up now and then at various conferences and events.
I'm not sure if I'd call myself of the typical literary scene, more accurately counter-literary. Thus if there was one I probably wouldn't be "in on it" as they would say.
Maybe Thuggish can relate with my opinion that many Vegas residents are quite boring. Most people my age I know do a lot of pills but nothing crazy. Fremont street, which is the party district of Vegas for locals, is a weird place and swarming with freaks, but it's not often something *~cRaZY~* happens.
I got a website going, a Duotrope listing and some online content so far. I'd like to put out a physical issue before the Vegas book festival near the end of the year.
Some shameless promotion: if anyone wants to submit, please feel free - http://www.zeit-haus.com/submit.html
I think that the new literary scene is online. It's no longer necessary to gather in person and discuss your writing projects (though there certainly is merit in doing so). Instead, there are Twitter chats and lists, Facebook groups, online forums (like this one, among others), and even Instagram hashtags. The community that Hemingway had is still there. It's just an Internet connection away.
I'd have to think about it. I'm only a little more social than I used to me, and still have weird issues about wide open spaces (long roads that go to knowhere especially, I hate those.) There is a very specific reason for that, though it doesn't have to with Gender issues. (If I mentioned it, the MIB would be after me!^_-)
