Ross Barkan

Jonathan Lethem.

Jonathan Lethem.

Not in the real world. In the real world, I have enormous privilege. But no, in the literary, in all seriousness, to an extent. I mean, in the 2010s, the literary world was less interested in what straight men were publishing. I think you have a general lack of the heterosexual male perspective in newer fiction.

Not in the real world. In the real world, I have enormous privilege. But no, in the literary, in all seriousness, to an extent. I mean, in the 2010s, the literary world was less interested in what straight men were publishing. I think you have a general lack of the heterosexual male perspective in newer fiction.

Not in the real world. In the real world, I have enormous privilege. But no, in the literary, in all seriousness, to an extent. I mean, in the 2010s, the literary world was less interested in what straight men were publishing. I think you have a general lack of the heterosexual male perspective in newer fiction.

There's a long history of writers portraying toxic masculinity and rough male characters, and it feels that you see less of that today. I also think at the same time, young male writers, white and non-white, we're taking less of an interest in fiction. It's a chicken and egg challenge where is it –

There's a long history of writers portraying toxic masculinity and rough male characters, and it feels that you see less of that today. I also think at the same time, young male writers, white and non-white, we're taking less of an interest in fiction. It's a chicken and egg challenge where is it –

There's a long history of writers portraying toxic masculinity and rough male characters, and it feels that you see less of that today. I also think at the same time, young male writers, white and non-white, we're taking less of an interest in fiction. It's a chicken and egg challenge where is it –

the publishing industry deciding this is no longer something we're going to push or take a real interest in, or is it market forces as well?

the publishing industry deciding this is no longer something we're going to push or take a real interest in, or is it market forces as well?

the publishing industry deciding this is no longer something we're going to push or take a real interest in, or is it market forces as well?

I think you hear it behind the scenes. It's that you're never told to your face. And I'm not complaining. I don't consider myself a victim. I've had a successful career. I'm very happy with it. I really have no complaints. But my book was rejected a lot by a lot of publishers, but so are many books too, right? You never know why a book gets rejected.

I think you hear it behind the scenes. It's that you're never told to your face. And I'm not complaining. I don't consider myself a victim. I've had a successful career. I'm very happy with it. I really have no complaints. But my book was rejected a lot by a lot of publishers, but so are many books too, right? You never know why a book gets rejected.

I think you hear it behind the scenes. It's that you're never told to your face. And I'm not complaining. I don't consider myself a victim. I've had a successful career. I'm very happy with it. I really have no complaints. But my book was rejected a lot by a lot of publishers, but so are many books too, right? You never know why a book gets rejected.

I mean, I appreciate your equanimity, but... To echo Joyce Carol Oates in a sort of notorious but not wrong tweet from several years ago, and I'm paraphrasing, is that Agents and editors are at least in the 2010s and early 2020s were just less interested in male straight male fiction. I want to broaden it a little bit because you see even among like black and Hispanic readers.

I mean, I appreciate your equanimity, but... To echo Joyce Carol Oates in a sort of notorious but not wrong tweet from several years ago, and I'm paraphrasing, is that Agents and editors are at least in the 2010s and early 2020s were just less interested in male straight male fiction. I want to broaden it a little bit because you see even among like black and Hispanic readers.

I mean, I appreciate your equanimity, but... To echo Joyce Carol Oates in a sort of notorious but not wrong tweet from several years ago, and I'm paraphrasing, is that Agents and editors are at least in the 2010s and early 2020s were just less interested in male straight male fiction. I want to broaden it a little bit because you see even among like black and Hispanic readers.

Asian straight men, there are some, but it's less common. And certainly the white male is now even less common. So I think publishers in general in that era were trying to diversify, which was fine. You had social justice politics. You had what they call woke. And in a way, woke worked because it – broaden things out and broaden new voices. But, you know, it is also zero sum, right?

Asian straight men, there are some, but it's less common. And certainly the white male is now even less common. So I think publishers in general in that era were trying to diversify, which was fine. You had social justice politics. You had what they call woke. And in a way, woke worked because it – broaden things out and broaden new voices. But, you know, it is also zero sum, right?

Asian straight men, there are some, but it's less common. And certainly the white male is now even less common. So I think publishers in general in that era were trying to diversify, which was fine. You had social justice politics. You had what they call woke. And in a way, woke worked because it – broaden things out and broaden new voices. But, you know, it is also zero sum, right?