Anti-Expertism

In his essay Default Thinking (.pdf), Scott Jenson touches upon what it means to be a futurist (book, or otherwise):

Legacy Vision is the approach we all take when first considering how to use a new technology: it gives us our initial use. This approach is very understandable: we look backwards at what we are doing, our current legacy, and apply the new technology in a manner to make this existing problem better…These first uses aren’t wrong, only naïve, as they apply the new technology to well known problems. In retrospect, many technologies are disruptive, changing the status quo and often end up being used in far more profound ways. The initial uses are quickly forgotten…It takes time before the full impact of a new technology is understood and applied in a more significant way.

The contemporary fascination with the e-reader, for instance, is reshaping the way we think about the publishing industry and even the book, itself. However, much of the current technology is being applied naïvely (navigating the Washington Post on the Nook is proof enough). One of the purposes of Bookfuturism is to provide a context to discuss Jenson’s “legacy vision” and help suss out the future of reading.We engage textual technologies strengths and weaknesses (be they e-readers, iPads, or codices), “to think of ways it could work better, to situate it in history, to study its effect on a reading culture” (publishing, reading, writing, etc.)

With this in mind, we are calling for essays exploring, questioning, and addressing the current literary climate to observe and funnel from a wide range of sources and independent visions. Gleaning a core ideal from a loose confederacy is, no doubt, tricky, but, with a combination of semi-public writing* and the classical, more private editor/writer relationship, clear focus can be found.

So, to get the ball rolling, we are asking for 100-200 words on your essay ideas with an way to contact you (preferably email). You won’t be required to write it publicly, but it will be encouraged. We’re looking for essays more chewable than Jenson’s, but his general structure is well suited for the project. If, however, you can write a compelling, thoughtful short story or personal/narrative essay, then by all means do give us a holler. We are flexible.

Submission can be sent to bookfuturism@gmail.com. And please feel free to share this.

*Tim Carmody and I, for example, plan to write our entries in public and incorporate the feedback and discussion into the collection.