I receive a newsletter titled, ‘Literary Hub’. Though I admire it, I often quickly scan it because I’m typically crushed for time. Who isn’t these days? But I saw that there was an interview with the excellent writer Marlon James on the topic of Bob Dylan. The excerpt that spoke to me most directly was on the subject of ‘if one should read reviews of their own works’. Here is the excerpt with Mr. James reply to that. The interviewer is Griffin Ondaatje.
“MJ: … when my books come out, I may read one or two reviews, usually. And then I don’t read any more.
GO: Why is that do you think?
MJ: Well… because I already did my part! I also think a review is a conversation, sometimes, between readers… but sometimes a review is just a conversation between reviewers. Like I’ve seen reviews of mine that aren’t even reviewing the book, they’re reviewing the reviews. It’s kinda like when somebody gets a lot of [attention] and then, one week or two weeks, or sometime after, somebody writes the “take-down.” And you realize this is not a take-down of the work, it’s a takedown of the reviews. Which is fine, if that’s what gets you off.
But I’ve never considered it a healthy conversation for an artist to take part in. I’ve never actually come across a review that helped me to write. You have to shut out a lot of noise, the more attention you get is a lot of noise—and the easier the temptation to have to simply respond to that. And I think for better or worse you’ve got to follow your own muse.”
We now live in an age of social critics the likes of which society has never known. I think Mr. James sentiments are exactly right. His final sentence sums up for me what I feel about Yelp in particular. I suppose by now there are others that may be even more baffling and capable of purposeful take downs by someone who may be a competitor or simply a curmudgeon. What is very perplexing is how many otherwise intelligent people allow their decisions to be guided by these sites. For me it is all about the work and whether I feel I, along with my team, have done right by the food and the vision as it fits into our aesthetics. I do have a few favorite places I still go to try and learn more. We can always learn! But it is my selection, or ‘curation’ if you like … and not two clicks away on my phone possibly influenced by geography or what the SEO world has indicated to … whoever them are … about me and my potential ‘likes’.