For now, suffice to say that we have certain things that we want so fiercely from American literature that we have made a misstep. We have descended in our discourse, when it is our stated mission to elevate the level of discussion whenever possible. That said, thoughtful articulation of what we envision—our call to arms, our mini-manifesto—will take a while to draft. We hope your interest in this subject is more than fleeting and deeper than personal indignation. We hope that you, too, care about what ails American literature and will have the patience to wait for our more considered statement and engage in an extended, productive discussion.

Okay, "mini-manifesto." Personally, I think we've had plenty calls to arms lately. But I'm all in favor of discussion and look forward to it. I hope that if you care about what ails American literature* you'll participate, too.

*Bearing in mind, of course, that question-begging is the traditional engine of the manifesto project.