The Death of What?

Read this. Ted Genoways, editor of the VQR, one of the only journals I check out with regularity (making me guilty of much of what he describes in the essay), writes on the death of journals more than literature itself, despite the title of this piece. Though I find fault with some of this, the ending is tough to argue against:

"At the same time, young writers will have to swear off navel-gazing in favor of an outward glance onto a wrecked and lovely world worthy and in need of the attention of intelligent, sensitive writers. I'm not calling for more pundits—God knows we've got plenty. I'm saying that writers need to venture out from under the protective wing of academia, to put themselves and their work on the line. Stop being so damned dainty and polite. Treat writing like your lifeblood instead of your livelihood. And for Christ's sake, write something we might want to read."