Arts & Crafts

"What is written without effort is in general read without pleasure,"—Samuel Johnson

I have never been one to think that "everything the artist spits is art." I think any artistic outcome viscerally lies in the "craft" of the artist. Craft, in my opinion, is the ability of the artist to tame their talents to some effective means. I'm sure those of us who've tried to write novels know it well: no matter how inventive or creative we are, it's still so easy to get lost in our writing. No matter how good we are at playing the piano, composing something of our own remains very frustrating. Yet, I hold that particularly in literary matters, a measure of craft is necessary.

Stephanie Meyer has undergone much criticism because of her portrayal of Edward Cullen and Bella Swan's relationship in Twilight. One of the issues being the gender roles outlined in the book. Meyers has rebutted critics saying that Bella's inferiority to Edward and her obsessions over Edward aren't so much a part of her "womanhood" but an expression of her humanity. Yet, this is not what it reads like at all.

And why, reader, would Twilight read contrary to Meyer's intention?

While it is her book, the novel is not yet her art. Meyers skills with writing have not one her many merits with her contemporaries. "Stephanie Meyer can't write worth a darn" as Stephen King told USA Weekend. This is entirely the reason why her book lends itself to crazy interpretations, it is poorly written and is thus inconsistent with any beliefs she holds. It would be akin to me writing a post about Twilight so vague that you might think I liked the book. But, because I know how to use my words wisely, you get a clear picture of my meaning.

Twilight's success speaks to a growing American audience which is expecting less and less, and becoming zealots for mediocrity. The songs we listen to on the radios are covers, the movies we watch are the same stories we've seen already, regardless if its Johnny Depp or Gene Wilder who played the part. To top this, Sylvia Browne--a charlatan who masquerades as a psychic--can have a bestseller, and so can Stephanie Meyer.

I have hopes for Meyer. I think that she'll grow out of her bleary Twilight series phase and step into something new. Hopefully, she saves an ear for her critics and tries to write something a little sharper. She's young, and no doubt has some life experiences to inspire her to a new, and much more substantial topic than vapid vampire romances. But, it will take great effort on her part. Nothing worth reading or doing is easy to put down in words, but when it is done, then you've joined the ranks of genius.

Ah, but reader! if Stephanie Meyer improves her writing... will she remain so popular?