Too Much Escapism?

[John McFetridge]

In an essay on The Huffington Post, Benjamin LeRoy, formerly of Bleak House Books and now a publishers at Tyrus Books, says that, "I sometimes worry that publishing leans too heavily on the escapism and that we run the danger of over-escaping,"

 

The essay is here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/benjamin-leroy/publishing-on-the-frin...

 

He also says, "I'm not knocking it and I wouldn't even know where to begin in selecting those titles or the responsibilities and stresses that come with moving 20, 50, 100,000 units of written Hollywood. But I think it's important to fight for what makes the book special--the human connection."

 

("Written Hollywood," I love that. He also uses the term, "Clap-along justice," which I think is fantastic).

 

Personally I'm a big fan of small presses like Bleak House and Tyrus (I'm going to start saying that I left Harcourt and St. Martins to be with a small press, ECW - instead of that the big publishers dropped me ;)

 

What do you think?

 

 

[Caroline Trippe]

Escapism is play, and play is how humans learn about the world and process it.

This is especially true for children---as you know, Camille, because you also write children's books---and the worlds I escaped into in the books I read growing up had the most profound effect of any reading I've ever done. They become part of who you are, and how you see and think about the world. And there is, or should be, much delight in it.

Escapism tends to let us get away from that false surface message more easily.
May I quote you? :)

[Camille LaGuire]

Sure, you can quote me. I'm always happy to be quoted.