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Virtual Memories Show 231:
Sven Birkerts
“There are thresholds or shelves where we go from having incremental change to systemic moments of transformation.”
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In the ’90s, Sven Birkerts cautioned us about the impact of technology on reading with The Gutenberg ElegiesImage may be NSFW.
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. In 2017, we mute our iPhones to talk about his new book, Changing the Subject: Art and Attention in the Internet AgeImage may be NSFW.
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(Graywolf Press). We dive into the impact of digital technology on perception and identity, but also get into the way life becomes a thematic puzzle in middle age, why he stepped down from his role directing the low-residency MFA program at Bennington, the joy of bringing his favorite writers in as instructors (and the ones he regrets not getting), the challenge of interviewing fiction writers, his big literary 0-fer and what I’m missing about Virginia Woolf, how he’s adapting to a year-long sabbatical and how he understands his writing life, what he’s learned editing the literary magazine AGNI, and why the prerequisite for anything he’s reading is that it has to be more interesting to him than whatever it is he’s vaguely brooding about. Give it a listen! And go buy his new essay collection, Changing the SubjectImage may be NSFW.
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“When I was your age, I discovered the doubling over of one’s own experience. . . . Themes, recurrences and motifs in my life began to manifest. Then as if on command, the whole sunken continent of memory began to detach from the sea-floor.”
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About our Guest
Sven Birkerts is the author of Changing the Subject: Art and Attention in the Internet AgeImage may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. and nine previous books, including The Other Walk: EssaysImage may be NSFW.
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, The Gutenberg ElegiesImage may be NSFW.
Clik here to view., The Art of Time in Memoir: Then, AgainImage may be NSFW.
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, and My Sky Blue Trades: Growing Up Counter in a Contrary TimeImage may be NSFW.
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. He recently stepped down as director of the Bennington Writing Seminars, and he also edits the journal AGNI based at Boston University. He lives in Arlington, Massachusetts, and he’s on Twitter as svenbirkerts and Instagram as cyberbirk.
Credits: This episode’s music is Nothing’s Gonna Bring Me Down by David Baerwald, used with permission from the artist. The conversation was recorded at Mr. Birkerts’ home on a pair of Blue enCORE 200 MicrophonesImage may be NSFW.
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feeding into a Zoom H5Image may be NSFW.
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digital recorder. I recorded the intro and outro on a Heil PR-40 Dynamic Studio Recording MicrophoneImage may be NSFW.
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feeding into a Cloudlifter CL-1Image may be NSFW.
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and a Mackie Onyx Blackjack 2×2 USB Recording InterfaceImage may be NSFW.
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. All processing and editing done in Adobe Audition CCImage may be NSFW.
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. Photo of Mr. Birkerts by me. It’s on my instagram.