Matthew Thomas Meade's Blog
November 30, 2024
Triumph of Mediocrity
Is it just me, or do the Goodreads Choice Awards always seem like the dullest collection of middling pablum? I am sure there are some good ones in there, but they sure struggle to make any of them sound interesting. I guess James sounds interesting. I will probably read that eventually. And Ministry of Time. It's always nice when one of the Enger brothers puts out a book. But as a whole? Feels like the bookshelf of someone who uses penultimate synonymously with ultimate.
Maybe this is just the nature of awards. They skew toward the mediocre because they appeal to the most people? This is how As Good as it Gets is nominated for an Oscar and Less wins a Pulitzer. This is how The Red Hot Chili Peppers and Ozzie Osbourne's son win Grammy Awards 20 years after any of them were relevant, or Mumford & Sons won a Grammy at all. This is why Foreigner is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Maybe I am the weird one, but when I see a sticker on a book that is announcing that it won a Pulitzer, Booker, or Goodreads award, I instantly get suspicious. I don't begrudge writers or publishers trying to use the sticker to sell more books, but it has the opposite effect on me. I think it probably changes who reads a book. I prefer the books that mind their own business and just sit on a shelf festering in obscurity until I stumble across them. Cheers to the unawarded, the unstickered, the obscure.
Maybe this is just the nature of awards. They skew toward the mediocre because they appeal to the most people? This is how As Good as it Gets is nominated for an Oscar and Less wins a Pulitzer. This is how The Red Hot Chili Peppers and Ozzie Osbourne's son win Grammy Awards 20 years after any of them were relevant, or Mumford & Sons won a Grammy at all. This is why Foreigner is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Maybe I am the weird one, but when I see a sticker on a book that is announcing that it won a Pulitzer, Booker, or Goodreads award, I instantly get suspicious. I don't begrudge writers or publishers trying to use the sticker to sell more books, but it has the opposite effect on me. I think it probably changes who reads a book. I prefer the books that mind their own business and just sit on a shelf festering in obscurity until I stumble across them. Cheers to the unawarded, the unstickered, the obscure.
July 12, 2023
An Old One, But a Good One
What's up, you freakazoids?!?!
One of my favorite things about working with online literary outlets is that they create a semi-permanent home for your stories. One of my favorite stories that I ever wrote was published in September of 2016 by one of my favorite literary outlets, Maudlin House. I can't believe it was that long ago, actually. That makes this one something of a classic. The story is about a guy who is dealing with a breakup and he lashes out to one of the few people he still has around him, the long suffering customer service associate. The story is told in the epistolary form because I always wanted to try it and this idea fit nicely with that form. It is called "In Response to Your E-Newsletter Re: Peter Gabriel’s Upcoming Summer Tour Dates" and I hope it ruins your whole day.
https://www.matthewthomasmeade.com/in...
Cheers!
Matt
One of my favorite things about working with online literary outlets is that they create a semi-permanent home for your stories. One of my favorite stories that I ever wrote was published in September of 2016 by one of my favorite literary outlets, Maudlin House. I can't believe it was that long ago, actually. That makes this one something of a classic. The story is about a guy who is dealing with a breakup and he lashes out to one of the few people he still has around him, the long suffering customer service associate. The story is told in the epistolary form because I always wanted to try it and this idea fit nicely with that form. It is called "In Response to Your E-Newsletter Re: Peter Gabriel’s Upcoming Summer Tour Dates" and I hope it ruins your whole day.
https://www.matthewthomasmeade.com/in...
Cheers!
Matt
June 30, 2023
Goodreads Giveaway
I am giving away six copies of my new chapbook, Rocketflower.
I would love for you you sign up for a chance to win: https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/en...
Stay tuned for further information about free samples of the audio book version.
Cheers!!!!!
-Matt
I would love for you you sign up for a chance to win: https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/en...
Stay tuned for further information about free samples of the audio book version.
Cheers!!!!!
-Matt
