Stephin Merritt, a musician best known as the creative force behind deadpan indie-pop band the Magnetic Fields, has entered the arena of literary criticism—and readers are up in arms.
Monday: Stephin Merritt judges the final #ToB15 Zombie match: AN UNTAMED STATE v ALL THE LIGHT http://t.co/AQnN6hcGvo pic.twitter.com/xqcwO1IBan
— The Morning News (@TheMorningNews) March 28, 2015
https://twitter.com/AndrewJDeYoung/status/582597941879316480
oh haha stephin merritt is being dumb and gross again?
— Mr. Beverages (@j_beverages) March 30, 2015
https://twitter.com/kfan/status/582528563615809537
At issue is Merritt’s typically petulant reading of the acclaimed novels An Untamed State and All the Light We Cannot See for a judgment in the semifinal round of the 2015 Tournament of Books, a bit of literary bracketology organized by the Morning News.
The annual contest, though small, has dedicated fans, and often invites ferocious microdramas. An author of one of 2014’s underdog books, for example, trolled readers by trying to withdraw from the contest. (Disclosure: Your humble correspondent lost in an opening round in 2013. To Gone Girl.)
Merritt found nothing of value in either contender and had especially harsh words for An Untamed State, which he called “craven” and “tedious,” lamenting its sustained interest in the kidnapping, torture, and rape of its “jerk” protagonist. Author Roxane Gay, beloved on the Web for her essay collection Bad Feminist, benevolent public persona, and editorial collaborations with the Toast, didn’t seem too ruffled by such comments.
https://twitter.com/rgay/status/582561272882982912
https://twitter.com/rgay/status/582561709216370688
https://twitter.com/rgay/status/582562189875277824
https://twitter.com/rgay/status/582584788990693376
Her fans, of course, were another matter. “[T]his is the first judgment in years that has made me want to punch someone,” wrote one commenter. Another argued that “every musician invited to participate in this tournament has delivered a shallow, poorly argued judgment that has demonstrated, at best, lack of reading comprehension, and at worst, a distaste for reading in general.”
Things got so heated that Morning News staff had to moderate.
The Morning News
Over on Twitter, reactions were divided. Some people were disgusted, and some cried “troll.” Reference was made to Dale Peck, a writer and critic infamous for his mean-spirited hatchet jobs.
Also read that ToB judgment from today (yee-ouch). I feel like Stephin Merritt Hates Your Book should be a tumblr. Somebody get on that.
— Gwenda Bond 🖼️The Frame-Up🖼️ out now (@Gwenda) March 30, 2015
Today I found out that Stephin Merritt is Dale Peck’s ghostwriter.
— Pitchaya Sudbanthad (@pitchaya) March 30, 2015
I would never call Stephin Merritt. I interviewed him once and it was so uncomfortable that I wanted to cry under my desk afterward.
— Tyler Coates (@tylercoates) March 30, 2015
Possibly Merritt should not be allowed in public without Claudia Gonson’s moderating influence. #TOB
— Ester Bloom (@shorterstory) March 30, 2015
noted comedian and prank-show host stephin merritt would like you all to lighten up!!!
— mattie lubchansky (@Lubchansky) March 30, 2015
https://twitter.com/sannewman/status/582580727197368320
It’s funny that Merritt made the remark about audience since he seems clueless as to the audience of what he wrote about the books.
— Elisa Gabbert (@egabbert) March 30, 2015
feeling controversial: i didn’t like ‘an untamed state’ but merritt still failed to remotely engage with it, which is also known as reading
— brad out of hell (@unbornwhiskey) March 30, 2015
The Troll Of The Day™ is Stephin Merritt.
— Just The Tape™️ as seen in NYMag (@dntsqzthchrmn) March 30, 2015
https://twitter.com/imjasondiamond/status/582567715388448768
https://twitter.com/frankenstein007/status/582603774553767937
https://twitter.com/EvanJRoskos/status/582578994522013697
Although Merritt was a frequent and primary target, the Tournament of Books itself came in for some blistering critique.
Easily the ugliest #ToB decision in history. http://t.co/toUckvdFhO
— Alexander Chee (@alexanderchee) March 30, 2015
I just can’t watch or read #ToB. Vicious and vicious-er.
— Christine Hyung-Oak Lee | She/They 🐝 🐓💨 (@xtinehlee) March 30, 2015
https://twitter.com/TabithaBlanken/status/582580259259838465
https://twitter.com/LabourLawAlex/status/582567159068524544
TIL there’s something called the tournament of books! I hope by 5 PM I’ll have forgotten all about it.
— @benharnett.bsky.social (@benharnett) March 30, 2015
Those who bemoan the “epidemic of niceness in online book culture” ought to be happy, at least. But don’t go so hard on Merritt for that review: It was likely penned by his evil twin.
