The Interview By Christopher Silvester [English Core Class 12 CBSE] Flamingo

Summary

In this interview, Christopher Sylvester explores the impact of interviews on celebrities and authors, with opinions ranging from invasion of privacy to a credible source of truth. Sylvester also discusses with Umberto Eco his writing process, embracing empty spaces and narrative style, and the unexpected success of 'The Name of the Rose', reflecting on the underestimated intelligence of readers.

Takeaways

• 📰 **Influential History**: Sylvester States has been a significant part of journalism for over 130 years.
• 🎨 **Art vs. Invasion**: Some view interviews as an art form, while others see them as an invasion of privacy.
• 🤔 **Celebrity Concerns**: Celebrities often feel unjustly treated by interviews, which they believe can diminish their dignity.
• 📸 **Primitive Beliefs**: Primitive cultures believe photographs can steal a soul, similarly, some believe interviews can take away a person's essence.
• 📚 **Literary Views**: Various authors like V.S. Naipaul, Louis Carroll, and Rudyard Kipling have expressed negative views about interviews.
• 😴 **Kipling's Aversion**: Rudyard Kipling found interviews repulsive and unpleasant, as noted by his wife, Caroline.
• 📖 **Twain's Irony**: Despite considering interviews a nightmare, Mark Twain gave several, including one to Sylvester.
• 🎭 **Bellows' Suffocation**: Noted playwright and novelist Saul Bellow felt suffocated by interviews.
• 🗣️ **Communication Tool**: Sylvester argues that interviews are a useful method of communication, despite the criticisms.
• 🌟 **Umberto Eco's Expertise**: Umberto Eco is introduced as a formidable scholar with a wide range of expertise.
• 📈 **Eco's Writing Process**: Eco's writing focuses on similar topics and he utilizes 'interstices' or empty spaces to expand his writing.
• 📝 **Unconventional Style**: Eco's writing style differs from mainstream academic writing, favoring a narrative approach over hypotheses or conclusions.
• 📚 **Academic vs. Novelist**: Eco acknowledges the broader reach he has as a novelist despite his academic background.
• 📖 **Readers' Complexity**: Eco believes readers appreciate complex ideas in literature, contrary to the narrow views of publishers and journalists.
• 🤷‍♂️ **Mystery of Success**: Eco remains puzzled by the success of 'The Name of the Rose', his masterpiece.

Q & A

What is the main perspective of Christopher Sylvester on interviews?

Christopher Sylvester considers interviews as a useful method of communication despite acknowledging the various views of literary figures who see interviews as invasive or diminishing a person's dignity.

Why do some celebrities and primitive cultures view interviews negatively?

Some celebrities and primitive cultures view interviews negatively because they believe interviews can be unjust, diminish a person's dignity, or take away the soul of the subject, similar to how a photograph is thought to do in some cultures.

What did V.S. Naipaul believe about interviews?

V.S. Naipaul believed that interviews hurt the person being interviewed.

Why was Louis Carroll hesitant about giving interviews?

Louis Carroll was hesitant about giving interviews due to his fear of interviewers and his belief that he would be celebrated unnecessarily.

What was Rudyard Kipling's opinion on interviews?

Rudyard Kipling found interviews repulsive and unpleasant, as noted by his wife Caroline in her diary when an interviewer ruined their day.

What did Umberto Eco consider his writing to focus on?

Umberto Eco's writing focused on similar topics, which made his writing process easier according to his own comment.

How does Umberto Eco define 'interstices' in the context of his writing?

For Umberto Eco, 'interstices' or empty spaces refer to the time between different events, which he used productively to expand his writing output.

What was unique about Umberto Eco's academic writing style?

Umberto Eco's academic writing style was unique in that he used a narrative approach, telling the story of his research rather than focusing on a hypothesis or a conclusion.

Why did Umberto Eco start writing novels later in life?

Umberto Eco started writing novels after the age of 50 because he enjoyed using a narrative approach in his essays and only later applied this style to fiction.

How did Umberto Eco feel about being labeled as a novelist despite his academic works?

Umberto Eco was bothered by the novelist tag despite having written noted academic works, but he acknowledged that he reached a broader audience as a novelist.

What was Umberto Eco's reaction to the success of 'The Name of the Rose'?

Umberto Eco found the success of 'The Name of the Rose' a mystery and believed that it was publishers and journalists who were surprised by the readers' enjoyment of the complex novel.

What did Umberto Eco think about the readers of 'The Name of the Rose'?

Umberto Eco believed that readers chose to read 'The Name of the Rose' for a complex reading experience, contrary to the narrow view held by publishers and journalists.

Outlines

00:00

🗣️ The Art and Criticism of Interviews

The first paragraph discusses the role of interviews in journalism and the varied perspectives on them. Christopher Sylvester states that interviews have been a part of journalism for over a century and are a common experience for literate individuals. However, opinions differ on interviews, with some considering them an art form and a source of truth, while others, including celebrities, view them as an invasion of privacy. Sylvester quotes literary figures such as V.S. Naipaul, Louis Carroll, and Rudyard Kipling, who express discomfort with interviews, suggesting they can be dehumanizing. Despite these views, Sylvester argues for the utility of interviews as a communication tool. The paragraph ends with Dennis Bryan's comment on the influence of interviewers.

📚 Umberto Eco: A Multifaceted Intellectual

The second paragraph introduces Umberto Eco as a scholar with a wide range of expertise and a diverse literary career spanning academic texts, essays, fiction, newspaper articles, and children's books. Eco gained fame with the publication of 'The Name of the Rose' in 1980. The interview explores his writing process, which focuses on similar topics and utilizes 'interstices' or empty spaces between events to expand his work. Eco's writing style is noted for its narrative approach, differing from traditional academic writing. He began writing novels later in life, at the age of 50. Eco discusses his reception as a novelist versus an academic and his surprise at the broad appeal of 'The Name of the Rose,' which dealt with complex themes. He attributes the novel's success to readers' desire for a rich reading experience, contrary to the narrow views of publishers and journalists.

Keywords

💡Interview

An interview is a conversation where questions are asked about someone's life, opinions, or experiences. In the context of the video, interviews are presented as both an art form and a tool for truth-seeking. However, some celebrities view them as invasive to their privacy. The script references various authors who had negative views on interviews, suggesting that they can diminish a person's dignity.

💡Literary figures

Literary figures refer to individuals who are prominent in the world of literature, often authors or poets. The script mentions several literary figures such as V.S. Naipaul, Louis Carroll, and Rudyard Kipling, who held various opinions on interviews, ranging from feeling hurt to finding them repulsive.

💡Truth

Truth, in this context, refers to the accurate representation of facts or reality. Interviews are discussed as a credible source of truth, but the script also implies that this truth can be subjective and potentially manipulated or skewed by the interview process.

💡Privacy

Privacy is the state of being free from unsanctioned intrusion or disturbance. Celebrities often view interviews as an invasion of their privacy because they feel that they are unjustly treated or misrepresented, which is a central theme in the discussion of the pros and cons of interviews.

💡Umberto Eco

Umberto Eco was an Italian philosopher, literary critic, and novelist. His mention in the script highlights his diverse expertise and his approach to writing, which focused on similar topics and utilized 'interstices' or empty spaces to expand his writing output.

💡Interstices

Interstices refer to the spaces between things, or in the context of the video, the time between events. Eco used these empty spaces productively, such as writing an article while waiting for an interview, illustrating his efficient use of time.

💡Academic writing

Academic writing is a formal writing style used in scholarly work, typically involving hypotheses and conclusions. Umberto Eco's writing style is noted as being different from mainstream academic writing, as he preferred a narrative approach that focused on storytelling.

💡Narrative Approach

A narrative approach in writing involves telling a story to convey information or ideas. Eco enjoyed using this approach in his essays, which is a departure from the more rigid academic styles that focus on hypotheses and conclusions.

💡The Name of the Rose

The Name of the Rose is a novel by Umberto Eco that deals with complex themes such as religion, philosophy, and medieval history. The script discusses how the novel's success surprised publishers and journalists, who underestimated the reading public's desire for complex narratives.

💡Readers

Readers, in this context, are the consumers of literature. The script suggests that readers are looking for a complex reading experience, as evidenced by the popularity of 'The Name of the Rose,' which challenges the narrow view held by publishers and journalists.

💡Novelist

A novelist is an author who writes novels. Umberto Eco, despite his academic background, was also a successful novelist. The script explores the tension between his academic identity and his recognition as a novelist, reaching a broader audience through fiction.

Highlights

Christopher Sylvester has been a key figure in journalism for over 130 years.

Some people view interviews as an art form and a source of truth, while others see them as an invasion of privacy.

Celebrities often feel that interviews are unjust and diminish their dignity.

V.S. Naipaul, author of 'A House for Mr Biswas', believes interviews hurt the person being interviewed.

Lewis Carroll avoided interviews due to fear and a belief in unnecessary celebration.

Rudyard Kipling found interviews repulsive and unpleasant.

Kipling's wife, Caroline, noted in her diary how an interviewer once ruined their day.

Sylvester found it ironic that he had interviewed Mark Twain, who also considered interviews a nightmare.

H.G. Wells gave several interviews but privately thought of them as a nightmare.

Saul Bellow felt suffocated by interviews.

Sylvester believes interviews are a useful method of communication despite the views of the quoted writers.

Dennis Brian believed in the significant influence of the interviewer.

Umberto Eco is introduced as a formidable scholar with a wide range of expertise.

Eco's literary career spans academic texts, essays, fiction, newspaper articles, and children's books.

Eco's 'The Name of the Rose' brought him intellectual superstardom in 1980.

Eco's writing focuses on similar topics, making his process easier.

Eco uses 'interstices' or empty spaces between events to expand his writing output.

Eco's unconventional thesis submission style was appreciated for its narrative approach.

Eco began writing novels later in life, after the age of 50.

Eco is bothered by the 'novelist' tag despite his academic works.

Eco believes readers enjoy complex ideas in 'The Name of the Rose'.

The success of 'The Name of the Rose' remains a mystery to Eco.

Transcripts

foreign

here is a summary of part 1 of the

interview by Christopher Sylvester

to Sylvester States has been an integral

part of Journalism for the last 130

years any literate person would have

read an interview at some point or the

other

while some people claim that an

interview is an art form and a credible

source of Truth celebrities often

consider it as an invasion of their

privacy

[Music]

this might be because these celebrities

feel that interviews often treat them

unjustly

some primitive cultures believe that a

photograph takes away the soul of its

subject similarly some believe that an

interview diminishes a person's dignity

now Sylvester quotes different literary

figures who agree with this View

via sniper author of a house for Mr

biswas believes that an interview hurts

the person being interviewed

famous children's book author Louis

Carroll never consented to interviews

because of his fear of interviewers he

also believed he would be celebrated

unnecessarily

the jungle book author Rudyard Kipling

went one step further he stated that he

found that this form repulsive and

unpleasant

in her diary entry Kipling's wife

Caroline notes how an interviewer once

ruined their day

however Sylvester considered it ironic

that he had interviewed Mark Twain

like Kipling Wells also considered the

interview to be a nightmare

though he gave several interviews during

his life he had also interviewed Joseph

Stalin

finally Sylvester outlines noted

playwright and novelist Saul Bellows

opinion

Bello said that he felt suffocated by

interviews

although Sylvester quotes these writers

he believes that the interview is a

useful method of communication

the essay ends with a comment by Dennis

Bryan who believed in

as such the influence of the interviewer

[Music]

here is a summary of part 2 of the

chapter the interview

padmanabhan introduces Umberto Echo as a

formidable scholar with expertise in a

wide range of academic subjects

echo's remarkable literary career has

spanned academic texts essays fictions

newspaper articles and children's books

he attained intellectual superstardom

with the publication of the name of the

Rose in 1980.

began the interview by quoting author

and critic David Lodge on echo's writing

output

Echo commented that his writing focused

on one thing similar topics which makes

his writing process easier

he also made use interesthesis or empty

spaces to expand his writing output for

Echo empty spaces are the time between

different events

as an illustration Echo uses the example

of the current meeting while waiting for

padmanabhan to come over and interview

him Echo used the time productively to

write an article

padmanabhan then talks about echo's

writing style which is different from

mainstream academic writing

echo in response narrates the story of

his thesis submission

during the presentation one of his

professors commented on his

unconventional style of research that is

telling the story of his research rather

than focusing on a hypothesis or a

conclusion

Echo enjoyed using A Narrative Approach

To His essays because of this he only

started writing novels after the age of

50.

then asked whether Echo was bothered by

the novelist tag despite having written

noted academic works

Echo replied yes but even though he

considered himself an academic

practically he knew he reached a broader

audience as a novelist

padmanabhan Then Came To echo's

Masterpiece he asked whether Echo was

surprised by his reader's enjoyment of

the name of the Rose which dealt with

complex ideas of religion philosophy and

medieval history

Echo replied that it was only Publishers

and journalists who were surprised

because of their narrow view of the

reading public

he believed the readers read his novel

because they wanted a complex reading

experience

finally padmanabhan asks Echo to comment

on the success of the name of the Rose

Echo replies that he still finds the

novel's success a mystery

foreign