Do repressive systems produce greater literature? George Steiner, Joseph Brodsky, Mary McCarthy 1982

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3 жыл бұрын

Extract of a discussion chaired by the poet and critic, Al Alvarez. Entitled ‘Art - Repression and Freedom’.
Professor George Steiner argues that a greater literature is forged in the shadow of censorship, repression and persecution than in the freedom of the West, insisting that our libertarian, commercial world in fact corrupts writers and inhibits the writing of great literature. His views are countered by poet Joseph Brodsky and novelist Mary McCarthy. First 20 minutes of a 50 minute programme. The opening graphics make for a nice period piece.
Directed by David Crossman.

Пікірлер: 34

@sibengerard1856 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for posting...This is a Jewel...The intelligence of all Four.

@akiva7774 4 ай бұрын

These programs were on Channel 4 in its first years. Look at the state of it now and Steiner's diagnosis of the trivialisation of culture was clearly correct. - It would be a good thing for C4 to post these Voices discussions online.

@mayk89 8 ай бұрын

Amazing! Thank you so much for putting this document to our disposal.

@husseinm.4723 Жыл бұрын

Such a pleasure to bask in their erudition.

@sacredsoma 3 жыл бұрын

damn this was so good where can one find the rest? I love Steiner's voice even when he gets carried away

@light1908 2 жыл бұрын

Fantastic! And heartbreaking that it cut when it was really heating up. Nevertheless, thank you for uploading what you had.

@juantorres90 Жыл бұрын

My God! I was building up at that point and then it got all cut out in a second!

@actaeonpress Жыл бұрын

It's on the Channel 4 website, but I can't figure out how to download it. Maybe someone from UK can, or with a proxy.

@DEWwords Жыл бұрын

I love the way McCarthy is directly in his face about his huge assumptions.

@juantorres90 Жыл бұрын

Brodsky: "A poet is, in a sense, like a bird. Starts to chirp on no matter what kind of branch he alights. Literature is much older and more inevitable a phenomenon than any state and it's going to be that way".

@italialibera2102 Жыл бұрын

Plato said already that poet is a Winged thing

@lucianotomaz6895 2 жыл бұрын

"a great writer, in fact, doesn't need History", Brodsky (19:58)

@DEWwords Жыл бұрын

Well, that's too woo woo for me... even if it is Brodsky.

@edwardsamokhvalov6720 Жыл бұрын

well, he might be right that a great writer does not need history eventually, but making a great writer requires quite a material.

@d.mavridopoulos66 5 ай бұрын

Great fragment. Too bad the remainder is missing.

@prasantbanerjee8199 2 жыл бұрын

Great debate. Incomplete. Alas.

@abelromero8967 3 жыл бұрын

Steiner is too constrained and formalistic in his argument. You can't generalize about the quality of Eastern vs Western art especially when those categories themselves aren't essential or even well defined. Wish the artists had spoken more in this conversation.

@DEWwords Жыл бұрын

He's inexact, actually. It's a long list of hasty generalities wedded to questionable heroic straw figures

@edwardsamokhvalov6720 Жыл бұрын

way too formalistic!

@waynesmith6784 3 жыл бұрын

Mc Carthy and Brodsky have the advantage of being artists as well as intellectuals who have been actively engaged in the arts and politics of their time; Steiner, who, face it was less gifted than either has the disadvantages of having had a relatively cloistered life with a captive audience of students.

@juantorres90 Жыл бұрын

As a note to your comment: in one of his last interviews, Steiner declared that the work of the smallest artist will always be far more important than that of the best critic.

@KnowNothing-wt3ks Ай бұрын

@@juantorres90 I think Hero of a Thousand Faces is more important than Rebel Moon.

@filcat13 2 жыл бұрын

If only they would let Brodsky speak more. He comes off as deeper and more interesting than Steiner who sounds pretentious and self-important.

@AlgebraicAnalysis 12 күн бұрын

His hypothesis betrays his pseudo-intellectualism lol

@brucellowayne4853 3 жыл бұрын

7:21 anyone know who this philosopher was?

@freeri87 3 жыл бұрын

A.J. Ayer?

@brucellowayne4853 3 жыл бұрын

@@freeri87 yeah, could be. Men with differing tolerances of profundity, it must be said...

@foofkanon 3 жыл бұрын

Hey major what year mate.

@williamstuart9486 3 жыл бұрын

4 very interesting people talking. Terrrific. Is the rest of the show lost?

@majoresterhazy7012 3 жыл бұрын

I’m afraid this is all I have of it.

@edwardsamokhvalov6720 Жыл бұрын

There is definitely an elephant in the room that everyone (all 4 of them) tries to ignore while still keeping the conversation flowing. Did anyone feel this?