halfway through my abroad experience and while I may be short of an epiphany, im not lacking in thoughts. the best writers of 'the lost generation' spent their days writing in the very places I visit in order to create the stories that are now in the water of american education. I read about Fitzgerald and Hemingway traveling together through Europe doing hardly anything but experiencing culture and wonder what it is specifically about this experience that allows them to create The Great Gatsby or In Our Time. Can their exit from America be understood? Are their reasons for fleeing not justified? Prohibition on the rise, materialism gaining ground, and all the while a lack of agreeable culture. Writers as great as William Faulkner shunned by their hometown papers even after a nobel prize. My teacher told the story of I forget who when he was questioned about American Culture. His reply was simply "I think it would be a good idea." Is our generation profoundly lost from its fore bearers like the writers of a century ago? Is the world at our feet not facing more changes than any generation has ever come across in one life time? Malcom Cowly had this to say about The Lost Generation: "In the slogan the noun was more important than the adjective. They might or might not be lost, the future would decide that point; but they had already had the common adventures and formed the common attitude that made is possible to describe them as a generation. The generation belonged to a period of transition from values already fixed to values that had to be created." Does this mean we flee as well? I hope not. Hopefully we can be a generation that finds what has been lost over time. Optimistic as it may sound why not bring the goodness back home? Not to say its not already there- everyday we see artists that inspire through originality yet how often do they fall after fame? Maybe its because the emphasis is all in the wrong place. If youve gotten this far maybe your with me. And to you ill say all is not lost, our best moments as a country have come through competition- realizing our dominance is in question (space race creates tech industry?) This can be applied to culture. So maybe we take a note from here and there, strap it up, and make it happen. Hope this was not too much but either way im glad i passed it off somewhere because it wasnt doing much good where i was keeping it
and also this:
Chiddy Bang- Dream Chaser
