I didn’t even touch on this: “*the hardest thing for any low/middle income family student will be paying off their student loans.

*the next hardest thing for any low/middle income family student will be getting a sustainable job that enables them to earn a living wage and that allows them to write without being crushed (to paraphrase Orwell) by the mundane and inevitable.”

But it’s maybe more important than any of the points I made. Because college, which was on the way to becoming the great equalizer after the GI Bill and WWII, is increasingly creating even more of a divide between the haves and everybody else. And not only do students drowning in debt have no choice but to go to work for more money, without the luxury of taking a low-paying teaching or writing-related/arts-related job–but college is now becoming so expensive that students are dropping out or not going because they just can’t afford it or don’t want to take on such massive loan debt. It’s terrible–and I think because of this problem alone that the gap really is greater today, and growing fast.

Thanks again for the response–some good stuff to think about. (And I like the reminder about Joyce. He definitely should know.)

*Joyce once said “poverty is overrated”, and he should know.

*Orwell admitted after returning from India that his time spent hop-picking was partly driven from a need to become authentic, partly to get away from living with his parents for awhile.

*the hardest thing for any low/middle income family student will be paying off their student loans.

*the next hardest thing for any low/middle income family student will be getting a sustainable job that enables them to earn a living wage and that allows them to write without being crushed (to paraphrase Orwell) by the mundane and inevitable.

*access to information today is easier, but evaluating which information is best is far harder.

*access to communities of interest about literature is also easier, but their recommendations are less regarded unless they have the social capital to grab attention.

*access to university and Arts accreditation I guess is easier today, but it’s more expensive and frankly far less appreciated.

*Understanding what constitutes interesting literature and understanding the history of the forces which help influence and decide what is interesting literature are also better known, but again they are less appreciated.

So, at least for me — yes, I think the gap is greater today. Thanks.