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PARTISAN REVLEW
and activities thrive on informality, a suggestion that had come up more
than once; and I probably touched a nerve in the silent minority who
were upset at the pervasive activist atmosphere. (1 found out only later
the extent to which literature is the Cinderella of the Arts Endowment.
In 1993, literature was allocated 2.8 percent of the NEA's yearly pro–
gram funds, despite the fact that 16.78 percent of the NEA's applications
were for literary projects. Of these applications, 8.4 percent were funded
- 228 out of 2,711. Half of that funding goes to writing and translation
fellowships, 25 percent to literary publishing, and the rest to audience
and professional development and special projects.)
During her closing remarks, Jane Alexander sounded her clarion call,
"we must connect," and expressed hope that we would be able to have
art as the glue to bring Americans together once again. By now, even
some of the technologically illiterate were ready to join her on the fast
track into the future. Optimistically, arts administrators were going home
to arouse their multicultural constituencies to get onto the superfreeway
- in order to send their diverse messages all over the globe. That some of
them don't know where and whom on this globe these messages will
reach, the location of many of the targeted countries, or that they pur–
posefully reject the traditions that might link them, was ignored. Nor
did it occur to anyone that most of the potential recipients of our out–
reach don't understand English and may resent expectations to learn our
language: no one seemed to speculate on our need to know more about
the world we expect to lead. For most conference participants primarily
were thinking of the messages they were sending to the Administration,
to help themselves by trying to influence Congress. Thus they proposed
pressure group tactics, and old methods to enforce new credos, or old
ones in new wrapping. At the closing, those present cheered Alexander.
But 1 don't know whether she is aware that there are institutions, small
groups and individuals, who have been effectively marginalized by years
of advocacy and politicization, and who could help her. Tired of
spending their energies in that struggle, they have become disenchanted
with the NEA or, even worse, have joined those wanting to abolish the
agency altogether. (1 am not referring to the customary division between
right and left, Republican and Democrat - most artists traditionally vote
for the Democrats - but to artists and writers who have given up fight–
ing City Hall, and Congress.)
Jane Alexander faces an indomitable task: to depoliticize an agency
plagued by advocacy and infighting, some of whose constituents may ap–
peal to politicians directly - many of whom neither differentiate nor dis–
criminate between the various arts and often don't understand the artistic
process. "Alexander the Great" will have to hold together and steer a
leaky ship - full of passengers who, in their naivete, may well help sink it.
