Under “Words on pages and screens” I was introduced to Sven Birkerts. He presents his opinion on how words, depending on how they’re presented and perceived, carry a weight to them. Applen illustrates Birkerts’ point with the example of the stone carver. Words literally carved on stone feel more important (weighty) than if those same words were typed.
Birkerts also mentions how digital tools “[diminish] the power of the written word”. It’s become too easy for us to write and change our own writing these days. You can type then delete then type again and not think about it all too hard. This point also extends into how he thinks our quality of prose will also diminish. Or “language erosion,” where slang will always prevail over long clever, thoughtful wit.
The (ancient) written word
All this to say, I think it all sounds elitist, and I think Birkerts is being a bit silly.
“[Birkerts] laments the loss of the habit of reading great literary works of writers such as Virginia Woolf and James Joyce.” There are a few things that irk me about this statement. One, Birkerts feels this way because he believes that these popular Western writers have used language in a masterful way. Such a masterful way that we can all learn from them. Because these writers have (hand) written their works in times of disillusionment and major political upheaval, they have proven to be the epitome of the human condition and the English language.
(Not to stray, but after visiting James Joyce’s home in Dublin and reading a bit of Ulysess, truly that guy was mad as a hatter. I don’t think he could get away with publishing that if he tried today.)
Many people may not read Woolf or Joyce, but it’s not like they’re the only “great” literary authors in our day and age. Great stories are being written all the time with the same meaningful messages that have existed since Woolf’s and Joyce’s period. Disillusionment is everywhere! And so are great and probably depressed writers! Just because a story is older doesn’t make it meaningful. Just the same, a story isn’t worthless just because it was published a day ago.
Secondly, you can still have a weighty and meaningful work of art typed up on Word and read by the masses; such novels may not have been translated into English yet and probably never will be. Birkerts’ lamentation reeks a bit of “American who doesn’t consider the non-Western world”.
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