Look how far we've come.

I don't need a bonus blog post; I haven't missed a blog yet. I crave one. To read and discuss literature, my passion, is all I need out of life.

Contemporary literature. What is there to say? What do I expect? Nothing I suppose. I read to satisfy a craving, fill a void-- not because I have expectations. I either like a book, or I don't. There is no set criteria. I am not choosing actors to fill a specific role, I am simply filling it with whatever I can get my hands on and either entering another world euphorically or tossing the current travesty away with disgust.

But enough about me. It's not what I expect from modern literature that matters (even I am not that egotistical), it's what modern literature needs to be.

Once upon a time books were only read by the highly educated-- people who understood art. Today, everyone reads. And I can't believe some of the people that try to claim that they like reading. Half of them wouldn't know a good book if it bit them in the ass. Instead, they read Soap Operas that are written down instead of being acted out on the television.

However, that is not my point, so I'll save that tangent for a another day.

My point is that everyone reads. The populace of America is "educated". (And what a low-brow, narrow, boorish education it is. Once again I am being distracted.) I mean to say, that in a society where everyone reads, truly great books must appeal to everyone.

"How," you ask, "How is this possible?"

Well, for most authors it isn't.

But- a truly good author can create a writing style and plot that seems quick and interesting enough for the people in it for the (as Lisa put it) "brain candy", yet include hidden themes and depth that will appeal to those of us that occasional seek something with a little more sustenance.

This, I suppose is not what I necessarily expect, but what is needed from contemporary authors. They must multitask and appeal to as many audiences as possible.

Don't ask me what I expect. Even though I said I wasn't picky before (I'll try anything once), if I had my way, everyone would write in prose and focus on abstracts and personal relations and character development. I'm not sure if the contemporary audience would appreciate that.