I believe one of the biggest cause of the decline of literature is the collapse and subsequent disappearance of writers’ communities. Online forums just cannot substitute for real living communities and for the first time in history, all artists not only need to work for a living but have no artist communities to access.
Writers who hang out and influence each others’ work, sometimes they even live together. They largely do not exist. Writers exist basically alone. They aren’t influenced by anyone let alone other living writers. That’s a huge detriment. They should exist in communities of thinkers or creators. Cormac McCarthy is noted for hanging out with scientists for example. But the typical aspiring writer today is basically alone, works a shitty job where he connects with no one, maybe even works remote and has no social contact, and writes alone off the clock. He might not even have any friends, let alone creative friends.
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