Who knew Kanye West could represent the messy writing process? He writes a new album— The Life of Pablo— and kind of releases it at Madison Square Garden early this month, picking and choosing which songs to debut, dubious about the song titles, and apparently just as dubious about the lyrics. Two days prior, he had played his album, which had different lyrics, for his friends. And few weeks after the MSG show, West released the album on Tidal, Jay Z’s streaming service, with even more lyrical changes, elongating some songs and truncating others. He’s changed the album cover at least once, and from the time he announced its title last year, he’s changed it three times: So Help Me God, and then Swish, then Waves, now The Life of Pablo. The album has not been released as a physical entity — who knows when or if that will happen? The Life of Pablo exists only in the digital ether, so why not change it on a whim or many whims?
Whether West’s changes are capricious or calculated is up for argument. But he does seem to be extending a new template for the twenty-first-century writer. In this digital age, revision is constant; drafts are practically infinite. Crowdsourcing is becoming increasingly popular with writers who enjoy immediate and consistent feedback from their audience. Writing is interactive, a new type of call and response, a new negotiation of power. Are our classrooms embracing this? Is my classroom embracing this? No, because I haven’t fully embraced it.
First of all, you write beautifully. Your reflections on Kanye West are interesting and engaging. I'm sure your students love you; if I could go back in time I would want to be in your class! My second thought is this: Kanye seems on the edge of a precipice, teetering on the brink of an emotional collapse. I'm not sure the public will always want to indulge his every half-baked, whimsical idea as genius. In terms of consumable art, you only get so many do-overs, and I expect an artist to trust his own muse rather than create art based upon public opinion polls. Kanye seems to me to be a runaway narcissist who needs attention, and I'm not sure that I want to play call-and- response with him. Now, in terms of the high school writer in the classroom, I agree that consistent feedback from an audience of peers has its benefits. Ultimately, however, we should be training young writers to be open to suggestions, but yet sure enough of their own footing to compose what truly reflects their own voice and not that of a chorus of readers.
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DeleteI don't know, David. It seems that you're in the "life should mimick art" camp rather than the opposite. However, all art mimicks life to some extent, and to this end, the audience's response is always a consideration of the artist. What do you think?
DeleteThanks for the kind words, David! I hear what you're saying. The chorus of readers can ring pretty loudly. In this age of blogging and online publications, a writer and her work are so accessible and prone to adoration, vilification, and modification. Depending on her disposition, there may be a thin line between holding her ground and being open to suggestions, especially when she need only press one button to edit or delete her work, sending it into the cyberspace abyss.
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