The Interview as a Genre
Part I discusses the interview as a powerful and widely used journalistic form that evokes sharply contrasting opinions. While some regard interviews as a means of discovering truth and an artistic practice, many writers and celebrities view them as intrusive and even harmful. Through examples of famous literary figures, the author highlights both resistance to and dependence on interviews. Despite criticism, interviews remain a dominant source of information in the modern world, giving interviewers enormous influence over public perception.
- Interviews have existed for over 130 years and are central to modern journalism.
- Almost every literate person has read interviews; thousands of celebrities have been interviewed repeatedly.
- Supporters claim interviews reveal truth and function as an art form.
- Critics, especially celebrities, see interviews as intrusive and demeaning.
- Some believe interviews diminish a person, similar to the belief that photographs steal one’s soul.
- V. S. Naipaul felt interviews wound people and take away part of their identity.
- Lewis Carroll strongly avoided interviews due to fear of public attention.
- Rudyard Kipling condemned interviews as immoral and criminal, though he once interviewed Mark Twain.
- H. G. Wells called interviews an “ordeal” but participated in them frequently.
- Saul Bellow compared interviews to “thumbprints on his windpipe,” suggesting suffocation.
- Despite drawbacks, interviews are highly effective communication tools.
- Interviews shape public understanding of contemporary figures.
- Interviewers possess unprecedented power and influence in modern society.
Interview with Umberto Eco
Main Summary
Part II presents an interview with Umberto Eco, revealing how his academic and creative pursuits stem from the same philosophical interests. Eco explains his productivity through efficient use of “empty spaces” in daily life. He describes his distinctive academic style as narrative rather than impersonal and clarifies that he identifies primarily as a scholar, not a novelist. Eco reflects on the unexpected mass success of The Name of the Rose, arguing that readers are capable of appreciating complex and demanding literature.
- Umberto Eco was a renowned academic before becoming a novelist.
- His work spans fiction, non-fiction, essays, children’s books, and journalism.
- Eco believes he always pursues the same philosophical and ethical ideas.
- He writes during “interstices” or unused moments of time.
- His scholarly writing includes narrative, personal elements, and trial-and-error.
- A professor encouraged his unconventional doctoral writing style.
- Eco believes academic writing should tell the story of research.
- He began writing novels late and without frustration.
- Eco considers himself a university professor who writes novels occasionally.
- He prefers academic conferences over literary gatherings.
- Writing novels helped him reach a larger audience.
- The Name of the Rose combined detective fiction with philosophy and history.
- Its success surprised journalists and publishers, not Eco himself.
- Eco rejects the idea that readers prefer only simple or “easy” literature.
- He believes the novel’s success was unpredictable and time-specific.
Good one.