"Literary Neoteny"

Many concepts of evolutionary science and many phenomena operative in natural selection could be used to create a new form of literary criticism.

Cladistics retooled for lit crit could focus on a writer's style (formalism), the meme or even the writer's presentation in the struggle for literary survival.

Literary neoteny is a term I just coined, and I think it's fairly simple to recognize this evolutionary adaptation in the Darwinian writing game.

(If you're unsure what "neotony" is, just read the previous post. ("Neotony and progenesis are both mechanisms that result in paedomorphosis.")

Literary neoteny could manifest as writing which retains juvenile characteristics into adulthood, as a sort of protective coloration or camouflage.

Or it could be applied to the writers themselves.

Literary neotenists would flail and struggle and act thoroughly teenager-like long past the age of usual maturity. They would arouse "nurturing" and "protective" instincts in those who might otherwise assail their writing, their personality or their persona(e).

Literary neotenists would "get on."

Literary neotenists appear to be as cute as baby chimpanzees but most likely they are Terminators inside.

No names shall be named.

And besides, I think literary neotenists are cute. Duh.

To quote "The The": "If it's working, keep talking...if it's working, keep talking...if it's working, keep talking...ad infinitam...or death...