One thing a recovering academic must learn is that the vast majority of people don’t really care what drives the academy. They aren’t too worried about larger issues as systemic racism, or various groups’ feelings of unequal treatment. In fact, most people are just looking to get by, keeping depression and hopelessness at bay. There are few avenues to break out of the middle class, and even fewer to move up from the lower. And going to school hasn’t been presented to most people as an opportunity, but as a chore that must be done until work can be secured and they can pursue surviving on their own. This truth comes to me time and again when I’m reminded that deep thinking doesn’t sell books (not unless you’ve already established a reputation) and that if you try to bring the concerns of the academy to the public, they’ll look the other way.
The real trick, it seems to me, is educating people without them knowing they’re being taught. People don’t like being talked down to. Understandably. When I listen to people without college educations, I learn a ton. This is my matrix as well—it’s where I grew up. Higher education changes the way you think, but it shouldn’t prevent you from communicating with those who are the vast majority of people in the world. Anything can seem to be normal when it happens long enough, even living in ivory towers and discussing things almost nobody else cares about. You see, I’m a realist. And I still have a lot to learn.
When I write my books, my style is accessible but my topics are academic. It has taken me years to realize this simple fact. Anyone can read my books from Holy Horror on and understand them, but why would they want to? The questions raised are those of the academy, and those in the academy know you by your specialization (ancient West Asian religions, historically declined, thank you). A glance at how my Academia.edu page is viewed tells the story. Nobody who visits there is interested in horror films or this blog. They want the resource that can’t be renewed—my work on ancient history of religions. I’ve moved to horror because I find lots of very intelligent people here. Like those with whom I grew up, they are generally ignored by the academy. They are also very accepting of outsiders. You have to unlearn being an academic. And it might just lead somewhere productive.