[Newspoetry] newpome

[Scott Rettberg]

picture to accompany William's pome attached

> From: William Gillespie <gillespi at uiuc.edu>
> Date: Mon, 14 Feb 2000 13:57:17 -0600
> To: "newspoetry at ganymede.isdn.uiuc.edu" <newspoetry at ganymede.isdn.uiuc.edu>,
> Joseph Futrelle <futrelle at ncsa.uiuc.edu>
> Subject: [Newspoetry] newpome
> 
> Newspoetry Coverage of Ropes Panel Discussion on Electronic Literature
> with Richard Powers and Sven Birkerts at the University of Cincinnati on
> February 3rd, 2000
> 
> (after Fearing)
> 
> Mr. Birkerts, 40-ish,
> a critic with a reputation
> as a technophobe
> 
> Mr. Powers, 40-ish,
> a novelist with a reputation
> as a technophile
> 
> Mr. Powers is discussing
> the self
> 
> Mr. Birkerts claims he
> was discussing
> "the social self"
> 
> Mr. LeClair, 50-ish,
> a critic & novelist,
> fond of large books
> and geniuses
> 
> Mr. Powers writes between
> the two extremes
> of researcher
> and novelist of character
> 
> An audience member
> discusses Mr. Powers'
> fictional character
> "Richard Powers"
> 
> Mr. Birkerts
> has just
> taught that novel
> 
> He is trying
> to think
> of a way to say
> "with all due respect"
> 
> Mr. Birkerts confesses
> that he is driven
> crazy and bedeviled
> by that technique
> 
> Mr. Powers says
> intelligence is a
> series of narrative scripts
> and the ability
> to choose one:
> to be able to tell
> the right story
> at the right time
> 
> Mr. Birkerts reiterates
> his previous point
> 
> Mr. Powers is
> trying to get
> Mr. Birkerts
> to agree
> with him
> 
> To return to
> the subject of
> corporate capitalism
> 
> According to a
> gentleman in
> the audience,
> 60-ish,
> art has lost
> what Walter Benjamin
> calls "aura"
> 
> Now Mr. Birkerts
> is establishing
> the importance
> of physically
> turning pages
> 
> A woman in the
> audience is saying, in
> response to
> something no one
> said about
> the novel dying,
> that she sees
> no signs
> that the
> novel is
> dying
> 
> Perfect
> 
> Mr. Powers
> claims rightfully
> that the novel
> has always
> been more
> threatened
> by film
> than by
> anything digital
> 
> Mr. Powers
> has pointed out
> to my great relief
> that the great
> Victorian novels,
> during the period
> in which they
> were written,
> were enjoyed only
> by a very, very
> privileged few
> 
> People living in
> Beethoven's time
> didn't have access
> to Beethoven's
> music
> 
> this isn't the
> Renaissance, but
> access to the art
> of the Renaissance
> has never been
> easier
> 
> Mr. Birkerts
> has made a
> living as an
> expert on something
> he knows nothing
> about and
> hates. He's a
> dummy, a shadow,
> a yes-man for a
> smoky room of
> ghosts and
> old boys: the
> canon incarnate
> 
> Mr. Powers embraces
> understandings of
> things: he is not
> afraid to learn
> 
> Mr. Birkerts is
> afraid to learn
> 
> Mr. Birkerts
> refuses
> to use
> email
> 
> Does he
> cling to
> humanity,
> or live
> in denial
> of it?
> 
> (title links to http://ucaswww.mcm.uc.edu/english/events.html
> target=_blank)
> ("art" links to http://www.artchive.com target=_blank)
> 
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Newspoetry maillist  -  Newspoetry at ganymede.isdn.uiuc.edu
> http://ganymede.isdn.uiuc.edu/mailman/listinfo/newspoetry
> 

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