Nabokov on what makes a good reader.

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One evening at a remote provincial college through which I happened to be jogging on a protracted lecture tour, I suggested a little quiz—ten definitions of a reader, and from these ten the students had to choose four definitions that would combine to make a good reader. I have mislaid the list, but as far as I remember the definitions went something like this.

Select four answers to the question what should a reader be to be a good reader:

1. The reader should belong to a book club.
2. The reader should identify himself or herself with the hero or heroine.
3. The reader should concentrate on the social-economic angle.
4. The reader should prefer a story with action and dialogue to one with none.
5. The reader should have seen the book in a movie.
6. The reader should be a budding author.
7. The reader should have…

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Between Deleuze and Foucault flyer

The conference I mentioned a few days ago has a flyer available here, with a new take on an iconic image.

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Shakespearean Territories in Oxford – audio available

I’ve posted the audio recording of my talk to the 1887 Society, Mansfield College, University of Oxford from earlier this week. The first 18 minutes discuss my work on territory and the Shakespeare project in more general terms; the example in the remainder of the lecture is Henry V. The discussion is available in a separate file – questions look at imagined geographies and territory; the importance of Jean Gottmann; and whether there is a shift in Shakespeare’s treatment of territory, particularly in relation to Elizabethan and Jacobean politics. (In the response to the last question I mix up Two Gentlemen of Verona and The Two Noble Kinsmen, though it’s a passing reference.)

There are a range of recordings of my talks available at the bottom of the Free Downloads page, as well as the various recordings of elements of The Birth of Territory project listed here.

Posted in Conferences, Jean Gottmann, Shakespearean Territories, Territory, The Birth of Territory, William Shakespeare | 2 Comments

The Daily Routines of Famous Writers

Some of these are in other lists, but some good quotes from writers about how they get things done (via Peter Gratton).

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The Guardian’s Books of the Year

2012’s Books of the Year, in The Guardian. Contributors include Adichie, Armitage, Byatt, Franzen, Paxman and Žižek. Ideas for Christmas or New Year reading, especially as some of these will be out in paperback soon. (The list of 2011 books is here.)

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Coriolan/us

The National Theatre of Wales’s production of Coriolan/us is the subject of a symposium at the University of Aberystwyth. Wish I could be there, given how much I like the play and how important it is for my current work. Details follow (via Jenny Edkins):

The Performance and Politics Research Group at Aberystwyth is organising a one-day symposium on Monday 26 November to discuss the innovative and exciting production of Coriolan/us by National Theatre Wales.  Professor Mike Pearson will begin by showing extracts from a dvd of the performance and offering his thoughts as director of the production. We will then have presentations by Dr Andrew Filmer (TFTS, Aberystwyth), Professor Adrian Kear (TFTS, Aberystwyth) and Prof. Dr. Patrick Primavesi (Universität Leipzig). 

Described by The Observer as “an outstanding production that makes several big points about the theatre today…an unforgettable political and personal drama: rich, tough and resonant,” and by The Financial Times as “gripping,” “a production that brilliantly conveys the confusion, unpredictability and opportunism of civil strife,”
this was a inspiring promenade performance that took place in an aircraft hanger on a military airfield west of Cardiff during the summer.

Coriolan/us: http://nationaltheatrewales.org/whatson/performance/ntw21#coriolanus
Performance and Politics Research Group:
http://www.aber.ac.uk/en/interpol/research/research-groups/politicsandperformance/

Further information: Professor Mike Pearson mip@aber.ac.uk; Professor Jenny Edkins jfe@aber.ac.uk

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Hegel’s Political Philosophy

Thom Brook’s book Hegel’s Political Philosophy: A Systematic Introduction is online. A second edition is forthcoming (via The Brooks blog).

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Alphonso Lingis interview at Figure/Ground Communication

Fascinating interview here. I don’t believe this paragraph though:

For me, being a university professor is not even work. All you do is go to the campus maybe 6 or 8 hours a week and talk about books that you chose and that you love. I was never interested in administration or professional arguments and quarrels. I found that if you do your job, people leave you alone.

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Daniel W. Smith, Essays on Deleuze

Daniel W. Smith’s Essays on Deleuze is reviewed by Keith Ansell-Pearson at NDPR.

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Deleuze’s abécédaire – A is for Animal

Subtitled interview with Deleuze. Thanks to James Denison for the link.

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