Lawrence Ferlinghetti: Bottom Line

Posted by admin on Tuesday, February 23, 2021

Lawrence Ferlinghetti Money Quote saying editors who care about the content have all been replaced by those that emphasize income over art. Lawrence Ferlinghetti said:
 

 

“The real literary editors have mostly been fired. Those that remain are all ‘bottom line’ editors; everything depends on the money” — Lawrence Ferlinghetti

 

 

In this quote, Lawrence Ferlinghetti seems to be criticizing a shift in priorities within publishing away from literature itself towards financial considerations. By stating that “real literary editors have mostly been fired” and those remaining are “bottom line editors” focused on “the money”, Ferlinghetti implies editorial roles are increasingly being filled by those prioritizing profits over supporting creative works.

The quote conveys Ferlinghetti’s perspective that the publishing industry has moved towards valuing monetary gains over nurturing literary talent, which he sees as detrimental. Overall, Ferlinghetti appears to lament that commerce now dominates culture in publishing at the expense of an editor’s traditional role championing new authors and ideas.