By Tom Gauld

Kevin Nance, in his article "Invasion of the Genre Snatchers" published in Poets & Writers looks at the concept in the minds of many readers that genre fiction is in some way inferior to literary fiction. He continues on to talk about how many literary writers are dipping into genre fiction.

He writes, "Aspects of detective and crime novels, thrillers, science fiction and fantasy, horror, westerns, comics, and other subgenres are increasingly showing up in variously transmogrified forms, with and without ironic quotation marks, in works of literary fiction." Read more here.

This story doesn't really tell me (or any of you, I'm sure) that I didn't know. I never really saw the line between high and low art, and the division always seemed ridiculous to me. In my mind, there's only individual taste, balance by skillful storytelling.

The article suggests that the line is starting to fade, even in universities and writing programs. I'm still surprised though by how many people there are who still try to draw that line. I remember going for an meeting with a professor to talk about what it would take to apply for the creative writing program at UC - Santa Cruz. She asked me what authors I liked to read. I said, "Amy Tan, Toni Morrison, and Stephen King." At which point she stopped me, and told me not to include that last one when I went for my interview. I was taken aback at the time, but I suppose that I shouldn't have been, and I sort of laughed it off later. I ended up not going into the creative writing program

So, I guess the question is, do you agree with Nance? Are the supposedly strict lines between literature and genre writing blurring? How much so? Do you think there's less elitism in universities and writing programs these days?

My mom, sister and I had a really specially experience this Tuesday. My sister loves Jane Austen, and had just finished reading Emma, so I surprised her with tickets to the world musical version of the book at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts. (I had her going and guessing all week as to what we would be doing that night, and she only found out at our dinner before the performance.)

Emma is a wealthy gentleman's daughter. Spoiled, manipulative, and arrogant, she meddles in the lives of others and makes unfortunate and her misguided attempts at matchmaking bring her fellow characters frustration and pain. Austen once wrote that in Emma she purposefully set out to write a character that no one would like but her.

( An aside. )

Paul Gordon's music and lyrics for the performance are spectacular, sitting firmly in a classic framework that moves from deeply powerful to delightlfully comic. Lianne Dobbs is charming as Emma and carries the performace with powerful vocals. And Dani Marcu is brilliant in the role of Harriet Smith, the bumbling victim of Emma's attentions. Her song "Humilitation" is a constant source of humor throughout the play.

In probably the most moving moment of the play Mr. Knightly, realizing his love for Emma, sings a song that features one of the best vocal performaces I've heard in a long time.

And after the performance all the actors came out front to mingle and take pictures with the audience. (My sister had to get her gumption up to go talk to Dobbs. She was feeling shy for some reason.)

Emma is great, and truely believe that anyone who loves theater will love this performance. I sincerely hope that this performance makes it to braidway as they see to be aiming for, because they definitely deserve it.