And Thus Spake the Master
The second most mysterious thing, after being, is language, in its ability both to express and to conceal. If I were asked to name humankind's greatest invention, I would answer, "The sentence." Yet, in inventing language, we also invented a kind of subtle monster that is as much in control of us as we are in control of it. The poet writing a poem or a worker writing a job application has the same eerie feeling on completion — "This isn't really what I meant to say." Who speaks? Language speaks, and it speaks us.
Mister Black has more to say
And one is all sad that Mr. Banville somehow let go of all the first person confessional narrators sitting inside his head :(
Dunno if I sent this though. Banville reading a bit from Prague Pictures for Czech radio and then answering questions.
Posted by
K. |
8:02 PM, August 09, 2008
And you are subscribed to boldtype? Pretty neat!
You might also want to try reading Pinker on language and semiotics. Very interesting.
Posted by
Eroteme |
5:22 PM, September 24, 2008