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It's not really "Newspeak" at all; if anything, it's the opposite. Newspeak had limited vocabulary. The interviewer is using a bunch of ten-dollar words. Still,
by ailun 2y ago
It's not really "Newspeak" at all; if anything, it's the opposite. Newspeak had limited vocabulary. The interviewer is using a bunch of ten-dollar words. Still, interesting interview! I might read some Padgett Powell at some point because of this.
- kleiba 2y agoThe little info box about the interviewer at the end of the article tells you all you need to know.
- 01HNNWZ0MV43FF 2y agoYou got something against Canadians?
- wmil 2y agoNo one has more issues with Toronto writers who claim to be part of the "Canadian literary underground" than other Canadians.
- atuladhar 2y agoHmm, what is it that I needed to know? And what does the info box tell me? As another simpleton in this world, I did not understand this comment. > Jean Marc Ah-Sen is the author of Grand Menteur, In the Beggarly Style of Imitation, and Kilworthy Tanner. He lives in Toronto.
- galaxyLogic 2y ago"The little info box about the interviewer at the end of the article tells you all you need to know." That is a very round-about way of saying something negative about this article. Why not say straight out what you think is wrong with it? Why not? Maybe because it is easier for some people to agree with you when you don't present any actual facts. What does that little info-box say? And why do you think that is ALL we need to know?
- culi 2y agoI think the implication is that this interview is more about the interviewer than about the interviewee. Not sure I agree. Infoboxes about the author of an article are a common practice. I see them even on recipe websites
- Mtinie 2y agoYour comment tells me all I need to know about you. Obtuse commentary is worthless for discussion.
- HillRat 2y agoIt's an interesting contrast, because Ah-Sen is an experimental formalist, and his questions progress from that point of view, whereas Powell is (hilariously) ... not. (As this feels like a Q&A-by-email with all the questions submitted en bloc, Ah-Sen probably didn't get a chance to adapt his questions, and their theoretical foundation, to Powell's responses, lending to the surrealistic air.)
- kd5bjo 2y agoIt also might be worth noting that both pull quotes are things that Ah-Sen said in the questions, instead of things that Powell said in response. Some interviewers aim to help to tell their subjects’ stories, but others are looking for a reason to hear themselves speak. This feels like the latter case.
- Jtsummers 2y ago> It also might be worth noting that both pull quotes are things that Ah-Sen said in the questions, instead of things that Powell said in response. One is from Powell, the other from Ah-Sen. >> The attractive characteristic of a young narrator is the absurdity of it and the license of it. - Powell >> The destiny of all books is to become unmoored from the time which birthed them. - Ah-Sen
- pictureofabear 2y agoAlso, shouldn't it be "berthed" not birthed?
- deleted 2y ago[deleted]
- Ar-Curunir 2y agoEr why would that be the case. To be unmoored is to be detached from something. So the quote is saying that the destiny of every book is to be detached and read outside the context in which it was written (birthed).