Summary
Highlights
Welcome and introduction of Ricardo Piglia, an Argentinian writer, literary critic, and professor, highlighting his contributions to Spanish-language literature and his role as a reader and intellectual.
Piglia discusses the question of what literature will be, framing it not as an issue of essence but one of metamorphosis and historical context. He also addresses the relationship between the novel and technology, proposing to reflect briefly on this and then to discuss this with the audience.
Piglia begins with the typewriter, which has had certain effects. It was invented for copying, in order to make manuscripts legible in print, and in a certain way this continued the tradition of scribes. Tolstoy used the machine to write, and Henry Miller included elements directly inspired by hearing mechanical writing machines in hotels where he stayed.
The introduction of computers interrupted the rewriting process. It is easy to correct what one is writing, and one does not necessarily have to make another copy. However, this loses the organic version of what is being written. It becomes easy to copy and paste texts without having to rewrite them. This affects the question of plagiarism, and where texts can be said not to have been copied and pasted.
Piglia refers to Roland Barthes’ idea that modern literature began when the writer, critic, and editor became separated, with the roles now being re-unified. He discusses the decline of literary supplements, and how criticism is circulated much more personally on the web. He suggests discussing art and technology in relation to culture.
Piglia argues that technology has had a big effect on culture. When cinema appeared, and especially with sound, the novel lost popularity. The novel was left loose of cinema's great power to capture the collective imagination. Now, with the arrival of Internet, a similar effect can be observed, with Internet taking the place of television.
Piglia discusses the evolution of reading from papyrus rolls to books and screens, arguing that the act of reading itself hasn't changed, but the circulation of texts has. He also touches on the importance of the temporal aspect of reading, noting that reading requires time and is an inherently slow process.
Piglia explains that the tool that produced the clearest revolution was the recorder. It allowed the collection of stories of those who were not literary. It helped to resolve the relationship between writing and speaking. After the invention of such tools, we can hear the voices of the popular classes much more.
Piglia answers questions covering the concerns towards how modern technology affects reading. How the concentration of a 19th century novel reader differs from reading in front of a computer receiving notifications. He also reflects on how literary or media can portray the inner thoughts of the other characters.
Piglia discusses the parallels between detectives and readers. The detective must know how to read signs, re-construct lost contents, interpret what is not explicitly stated. Readers must decipher these clues to understand texts.
Piglia answers a discussion about Borges's claims about the effect of technology. He insists that literature deteriorates itself. He stresses that if all unedited works could be published, more could be learned from Mexican literature. The value of authors can often be found in their traditions.
Cultures should integrate- says Piglia, who also claims that cultures in Mexico and Peru have such a strong integration of traditions that is not commonly found elsewhere. These Latin American countries have great cultural density.
Final thanks to Ricardo Piglia and audience.