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https://theconversation.com/the-decision-to-close-meanjin-misunderstands-its-wider-importance-australian-culture-deserves-better-264773>
"Last week’s announcement of
Meanjin’s closure marks a poignant moment for
Australian culture.
Meanjin is a nationally significant cultural institution
with a storied history. Closing it suddenly, without warning and with no
consultation, on “purely financial grounds”, is a very deliberate act.
If an institution this venerable and important can be killed off with the click
of a mouse, few cultural organisations in the country can feel safe.
Outrage has emanated from many quarters, from contributors and readers, to
colleagues in the media and publishing – even famous writers such as Peter
Carey. In a nice touch, Carey released some acceptance letters from
Meanjin
he received as an emerging writer in the early 1970s. The Booker Prize winner
accused Melbourne University Publishing of “destroying a proven breeding ground
for Australian literary culture”.
Australian letters are small and penurious. Hardly anyone is making a living.
Excellent writing is scratched out, despite a crippling lack of resources. The
sector survives on tiny amounts of funding and vast amounts of good will and
volunteer labour.
While Creative Australia recently established a dedicated agency for writing
and literature, Writing Australia, public support for literature lags well
behind cultural endeavours such as the performing arts, galleries, museums and
festivals. Other art forms enjoy much better funding and more generous
philanthropic giving.
In the much-reduced circumstances of Australian publishing, making two editors
redundant is a major blow. The closure will also ripple out through a network
of contributing editors and writers.
More broadly, a journal like
Meanjin is a keystone for a wider Australian
culture. Its value lies not just in its illustrious past and vibrant present,
but in the role it plays as a venue for ideas and talent, and as a flagship for
cultural and literary achievement.
The phrase “purely financial grounds” has resonated for all the wrong reasons.
Callous and actuarial, it seems to encapsulate the approach of so many managers
and leaders in the contemporary Australian university.
Melbourne University has stated that the decision was made independently by
Melbourne University Publishing, and that its “council was only informed after
MUP had made its decision to close
Meanjin”.
Now that they do know, perhaps the University of Melbourne’s leaders can
reflect on the responsibility they hold as custodians of an 85-year old
literary magazine that has published many of the nation’s most famous and
important writers."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
