David Shields, author of "Reality Hunger: A Manifesto," makes it known from the start that his latest book should not be considered a novel. It's classified as a literary criticism, though it may be better read as a commentary on art and literature. More than anything, what "Reality Hunger" avoids is being pigeonholed into a specific style of writing.
"Genre is a minimum-security prison," Shields writes, and his book is planning a jailbreak.
The book is divided into 26 chapters, all titled with a letter from the alphabet. The letter of the chapter refers to a theme with titles and topics like "Reality TV" (K), "Risk" (W), "Thinking" (Q) and "Books for People Who Find Television Too Slow" (C). Each chapter includes several numbered points (which could be one sentence long, or even more than a page) disjointed from each other but related to the theme.
The most useful thing about this method of organization is that it makes it easier to reference a statement from Shields. Rather than having to give a page number, one can simply refer to a passage by a number, similar to how one references a passage from ancient Greek writings, the Bible or plays. As a result of its unusual structure, the book can be read out of order.
There are 618 numbered points, containing opinions and unattributed quotes, which Shields admits are blatant plagiarism.
One such statement is number 555, which reads, "If your picture isn't any good, you're not standing close enough." A quick Google run will lead straight to famous war photojournalist Robert Capa.
"I hate quotations," Shields writes in passage 353.
As noted in the appendix, the plagiarism in the book is intentional in every way for Shields. By law, in order for the book to be published, Shields had to provide a list of the appropriate sources referred to in "Reality Hunger." But Shields conveniently provides a dotted line on these pages that says "Stop; don't read any farther," so the reader can literally cut out the index pages.
Shields does this so the reader can understand what he thinks is the absurdity of copyright. Ironically, the book has a copyright imposed on its front pages, but it does not carry the statement "May not reproduce without expressed written permission" that is found in most books.
Shields engages with the copyright issue in a fascinating chapter (J) on hip-hop and the art of sampling music for making new music, stating you can learn a lot of wisdom from rap artists. After discussing the cat-like life of 50 Cent, who has been shot nine times, and the lifestyle most rappers present as the way they live, he discusses the difference between reality and realness.
"Reality is what is imposed on you; realness is what you impose back," Shields says.
Shields argues that every being has every right to access and use pieces of art and literature in any way that they choose. For Shields, everyone owns the words, music and everything else in modern culture because "reality cannot be copyrighted."
"It's all in the art," Shields writes in passage 225. "You get no credit for living."
There is a strong section, number 278, that starts off by scorning Facebook and Myspace as "crude personal essay machines" and spiraling to other vain Web sites, TV channels and video games that most Americans interact with daily. The haunting truth spilling from these pages shows we are desensitized because of the overuse of these media.
"Everyone knows there is nothing original going on, but somehow the whole thing becomes original in its dizzying amateurness," one line in passage 278 reads.
This book is not for everyone, though it may be utilized as an excellent text for English or communications courses at universities in the near future. Its commentary on modern day culture, bursting with energy and art-theft, would make a thought-provoking and entertaining basis for a class. The opening chapter is quite dull but essential for the book as a whole.
If a reader successfully completes this manifesto, the media in modern culture will never be viewed in the same light again. This is definitely not to be considered in a negative way but rather taken as an enlightening experience, if not a fresh supply of witty and intelligent quotes.
Britt may be reached at traubb@seattleu.edu
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