Has anyone else noticed the common application of the term 'prophetic' to minority-writers? First the New Yorker article on Atwood, now this one. We don't read great writers because they're prophetic, we read great writers because they're great writers. Like, the subtext is always that the solution to our current political issues is looking for people who we can construe as "having seen it coming." It's so silly.

I doubt that the guy who wrote Giovanni's Room would particularly appreciate having the term "prophet" applied to him, as if it were some sort of award.