Ruth Ozeki on Catastrophe, Thought Experiments and Writing as Performed Philosophy
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- Опубликовано: 1 окт 2024
- On the eve of her 2013 Man Booker Prize shortlisting (for A Tale for the Time Being), Canadian-American author (and Zen Buddhist priest) Ruth Ozeki visited the Wheeler Centre's green room for a conversation about her work and ideas with Melburnian and fellow author Leanne Hall.
Ozeki begins by explaining her process of auditioning characters for A Tale for the Time Being, describing how -- midway through the work -- the incidence of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami forced her to reconsider the book, responding more directly to a changed Japan by 'breaking the fictional container'.
She also discusses thought experiments in her writing, which she sometimes constructs as performed philosophy, and reflects on why the relationship between a writer and a reader is 'about the most magical thing [she's] ever experienced'.
Ruth Ozeki was a guest of the Melbourne Writers Festival in August 2013.
I absolutely loved 'A Tale For The Time Being'. Aside from the main themes, (which you'll get from the interview), one of it's triumphs for me is balancing the gritty, lowlife world Nao sinks into with the solace and isolation of Ruth's home and Jiko's temple. Flicking between the intense teenage anxiety of Nao's writing in Tokyo to Ruth's still and calm setting is endlessly pleasing. I urge you to read it!!!
I actually think her book title "a tale for the time being" was meant more in the sense of "a tale FOR the TIME BEING", with 'time being' understood as a noun, time being' as a creature which exists in the realm of time i.e. human beings.
Although it would also carry the secondary meaning of "a tale for the time being" with 'being' understood as a verb, and the phrase itself functioning as an idiom.
Anywho. Love Ruth Ozeki. I'm really into her writing.
Ruth is so aware and intelligent. I absolutely adore her ideas and works. I'd love to sit down with her and just talk to her about nature and the environment and philosophy.
Thank you, so interesting to watch, hear and listen to this interview… I have just read The Tale for the time being, which took me months to read, I read it slowly like you read the diary… I found it amazing, astonishing.. I had stopped reading completely and needed a book to read for my Summer holiday, my partner had recently read for time being, and t suggested it, then my third son, also recommended the book, as he had studied the book at University and written a whole dissertation on it.. and we bought him a special copy last Christmas… now I have just finished reading My Year of Meat, which I read in 3 days… such strong books, such strong and emotional subjects, thank you for reviving my love of reading.. though will I find other books as well written as yours.. ? What a whirlwind of emotions I have felt……
This video reveals too much of the book. I had to stop watching the interview and come back to it after reading the book (+400 pgs)
I have just finish the book and it was one of the finest books I've read recently even tho I didn't really like Ruth's part. I'd skim through them fast to reach Nao's passages, Nao's passages are extremely well written and far more interning