Scribbler's Cafe

Academic vs. Intellectual

In an attempt to stimulate conversation, my teacher (poet Leonard Schwartz) asked our class what we think the difference is between an academic and an intellectual. We debated this for a while, mostly agreeing that an academic is an expert within the "system." Their learning and thinking are institutionalized, part of a bigger whole. Intellectuals also are great scholars, but apply their knowledge to our current world in innovative ways. By this definition, Susan Sontag is an intellectual, as well is Arundhati Roy and Howard Zinn. Some may argue that Zinn is an academic because of all the time he has spent researching and interpreting history, but I still chuck him in the intellectual pile because he presents these learnings for a purpose, he is trying to impact our current world. I can’t think of any academics. This is either because my theory is faulty or because academics generally hole up and don’t interact with the outside world as much.

My teacher then asked us which we aim for in our writings. We all agreed that an intellectual is a much slicker thing to be. We sat around for a while talking about how much cooler intellectuals are than academics.

Yet, the more I think about and define the distinctions, the more I hate this question. I am sick of the dividing and categorizing of writers, of thinkers, of artists. Such as when you go to a big chain bookstore like Barne’s and Noble and fiction and literature are two separate sections. I hate when someone asks if what I have just written is either fiction or non-fiction, and then will argue with me when they see the bits of truth in my fiction, or the untruths in my non-fiction. I hate how I will always be thought of as a woman writer before I am considered simply a writer. I don’t aim to be an academic; I don’t aim to be an intellectual. I stated this in class. My teacher then asked if the alternative was to be tuned to “media,” to be more concerned with the audience and market of your writings rather than the ideas you are trying to present.

No! Why must it be either/or? Are there only serious writers and fluff writers. Can’t I be a serious writer who also enjoys fluff? If my writings are not entirely intellectual or “high art”, does that mean they are insignificant and “low”?

What do you think, dear bloggers? Do you want to be an academic, an intellectual, or throw the whole thing out the window?

posted by Scribbler @ Monday, May 31, 2004