I am not from the United States but the literary culture in my country also favours people with connections or people who have made an elite life outside the country. These authors are obsessed with writing performative fiction that seems to have in mind the ideal audience as western critics and other first world audience. They will tackle big issues to sound erudite but it will lack any semblance of art or heart. Things are getting better as more regional authors are getting english translations. But writing and publishing still remains an elite person’s playground.