With Alain de Botton, Ma Jian, and Ilija Trojanow; moderated by Paul Holdengräber
This talk was on Sunday. I'm always happy to go to the main branch of the library--or Library of Arts & Sciences, or whatever it's called--because it's such a wonderful building. This talk was in the Celeste Barton Theater which is in a part of the library I'd never been to. I guess it's been renovated or something because it's quite new looking. All glass sides stairs with those translucent sort of steps that allow you to see the dark, indistinct forms of people moving below.
I should probably start by saying that I have no tolerance for people who are more snobbish than myself. I'm quite snobby enough and find anything further to be insufferable. Ma Jian I found quite interesting. Trojanow and de Botton, mostly unpleasant.
I knew that it might be a long event when the started out by criticizing travel writers like Bill Bryson. I think it's a failure to acknowledge that travel writing can have different purposes depending on the writer and the audience. They act like writers like him are somehow doing a disservice to the subject, while not noting that no one with any degree of intelligence would read Bryson's travel writing and think, ah...now I know what this place and these players are like. Nor do I think that is Bryson's intention. His subject isn't only the ridiculousness of the locals but a more general sort of thing. He recognizes that people are inherently absurd. When we laugh at his subjects we also have to laugh at him and at ourselves. I'm sure they understand that. They just don't seem to recognize that it has any value. I think that's an indication of taking yourself fairly seriously. And honestly, how boring to think that the world is someplace where we can't laugh or mock for fear of being shallow or stupid. The key, I think, is to recognize that you too deserve to be laughed at.
Anyway, I find the whole thing too irritating to write about in detail.
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