The Rise of Illiterate Democracy

The Rise of Illiterate Democracy - New York Times: "The memory of a time when American party politics was worthy of a writer's respect, let alone professional involvement, has almost disappeared. American literature has distanced itself from an essential part of national life, and American politics has debased what was once an uplifting language of democracy."

So where's the politics in today's novels? I think we've grown so partisan over the last decade that no novelist dare declare an allegiance without fear of ticking off nearly half of the American public. Who would want to cut their potential audience in half?

Being a political junkie, I would love to see more politics in novels, but I don't know that I need my favorite writers to come out for one party or another.