Kafka didn’t publish his work, and I’d expect that he’s just one we happen to know about, others are likely lost to time.
replyIndeed there are people who don't contribute to the community. Or maybe they can't find a publisher. I'm sure there are brilliant things written which will never find an audience.
replyBut the broader point, in agreement with the article, is that the existence of fiction depends in part on extrinsic motivation (e.g. publishing, finding readers) and a community of intellectuals engaging with one another through their work. If everyone decided to stop seeking readers all of a sudden, the field would die and become a museum (mausoleum?) of former thinkers.
Contributing to the community posthumously still counts as contributing.
replyKafka did publish some of his work during his lifetime, including The Metamorphosis.
replyYes, but much of it wasn’t, which was my point, as it’s simply the first case that comes to mind where we know an author demanded their unpublished work be destroyed (Terry Pratchett is another). And Kafka didn’t receive widespread recognition until after his death, when Brod started publishing his writings en masse.
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