“I think you called it right on Annie Proulx‘s reaction to the Oscars in the Guardian. She seems to be coming from a place of deep disillusionment and a belief that the Academy was an actual, honest-to-goodness arts organization…like those that have previously awarded her the National Book Award, the Pulitzer, and the O. Henry Award, and included her in the Best American Short Stories anthology. In the literary world, when there are five finalists for a book award, the judges are likely to actually take the time to read through the books, for the most part, before passing judgment. That some in the Motion Picture Academy who cast votes would admit that they hadn’t invested the time and effort to see all of the nominees — and face it, how much time does it take to see five films, as opposed to reading through five novels? — is probably inconceivable to Proulx. I believe that is why her trip to the Oscars was such a cultural shock. She apparently didn’t realize until last weekend that the reference to ‘arts’ in AMPAS’ name is a misnomer.” — Sherry Fairchok