IS WRITING A LOST ART? (1)
I believe that it is quite obvious, that nowadays, people tend to scoff at intellectualism. It seems that no matter their level of education, lots of people are averse to logic.
Decorum has been thrown to the wind, and in some places, merely by speaking proper English, you are already labeled as a ‘geek/nerd.
Imagine one young fellow waking up one morning and telling his folks and friends that he wants to become a writer. They’d all probably laugh it off at first, until they found out it wasn’t a joke. Then they’d take turns at advising him.
His friend would say, ‘What’s wrong with you, guy? Seriously, dude, are you on drugs?’
Another would say, ‘Forget it man, if you want to do anything creative, go and sing abeg. That’s where the money is at. Can’t you see D’banj? Small boy controlling more money than his grandfather’s mates. Forget it o!’
His father would probably say, ‘Son I love your drive and spirit, but then let me borrow you from my wealth of experience. Writing is very good, but it is not appreciated in this part of the world. I’d advise you to forget about writing for now and look for a business that is more lucrative. May God bless you my child!’
By asking where are the writers? I could end up ridiculing myself. Perhaps, a better question should be, where are the readers?
Nowadays it is hard to find people who are interested in reading anything, except, compulsorily, their textbooks. Once, a university student told me that he considers, ‘guys who read novels, as gay people.’
Is that so? I don’t think so. The truth is that any reader of good materials is a potential leader. There are only two ways a person can advance in life: the books he/her reads, and the people he/she meets. But the fact is that your hopes lie in reading good books because rarely can you find a leader who is not a passionate reader.
I am a writer, so on behalf of my primary constituents, I ask this pertinent question: Are we going extinct?
The reality is that a lot of people sneer at literature this days. So how then, can they respect it as an art?