Over on Online Opinion, “Australia’s e-journal of social and political debate,” Greg Barns is depressed. He says that modern Aussie books are “generally superficial, politically correct tomes” and denounces the “30-something brigade” of Aussie novelists “growing fat on Australia Council grants, state government largesse and university residencies.” He says that the Australian literary scene is a “wasteland” and that today’s Aussie authors won’t seek answers to the big questions, won’t write “sweeping and grand” novels, because they “lack life experience and scholarship.” He pines for the likes of Xavier Herbert and Patrick White.

Meanwhile, the Aussie blog Larvatus Prodeo recently discussed Coetzee’s comments to Australian mediaabout university literature graduates lacking a foundation in literary history. Coetzee said:

Should we be worried that the graduating students are equipped to write novels and stories and plays for today’s literary market but not well informed about the history of these forms or about what has been achieved in the forms in the past?”

I don’t know. Should we be worried?