An ongoing online project of Casey Smith's MA seminar, "The History of the Western Book," at the Corcoran College of Art + Design in Washington DC, focusing on information, discussion, and debate about the history (and future) of scripted forms, especially the printed forms of the past five hundred years commonly referred to as books.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
The Disembodied Book
Continuing (the seemingly endless) debate on the future of the book, Jurgan Neffe weighs in.
Translated from German: The Disembodied Book
A good piece...overwritten?...and alarming. But that's all fair, per where author coming from and site he's writing for. Just a note, though, which I may add early and often about this, and the other debates we are becoming intellectually immersed if not compelled by in our reading: It's important to remember and note the 'umbrella' under which these debates about h o w books will evolve (perhaps out of 'existence') take place. The umbrella is The Point. As books evolve and their methods of use are morphed by technology, the goal must be less to worry about future formats alone (or about monopolization, state subsidization save for the arts in general, etc.) but to keep eye on prize of ensuring that historically thorough, uncensored, distinctively artistic and deep material/information continues to be readily available to all levels of people/readers/technology users. As book formats emerge, as 'more read now than ever' be it Oprah lists or other, as human need to communicate and connect soars via Facebook and its spawn, and as technology alleges to liberate and open intellectual doors to all, we should take care not to get so involved in interim forms of books that we forget books' true source of power: content, words, implicit and literal images that move human thought and action. That we not allow future 'books' to circulate at varying levels along any kind of a technology caste system. That even as we push visual and artistic boundaries of what is considered a book (guilty, here) we not forget first and foremost that genie IS out of bottle. So debating the interim stages to come can be illuminating but somewhat secondary to the real work: making sure future evolutions of Kindles and on-line best-sellers include classics, latest text of edge and risk, complete versions of things, and reach people in the technological lag periods of older hard- and software and use habits. We need to take care that content continue to flourish. I personally, sculpturally, love to obsess on the concept of these beloved containers (books). But we do so under a very important umbrella. I felt this piece flirted with it but didnt say it. So i just tried to.
A good piece...overwritten?...and alarming. But that's all fair, per where author coming from and site he's writing for. Just a note, though, which I may add early and often about this, and the other debates we are becoming intellectually immersed if not compelled by in our reading: It's important to remember and note the 'umbrella' under which these debates
ReplyDeleteabout h o w books will evolve (perhaps out of 'existence') take place. The umbrella is The Point. As books evolve and their methods of use are morphed by technology, the goal must be less to worry about future formats alone (or about monopolization, state subsidization save for the arts in general, etc.) but to keep eye on prize of ensuring that historically thorough, uncensored, distinctively artistic and deep material/information continues to be readily available to all levels of people/readers/technology users. As book formats emerge, as 'more read now than ever' be it Oprah lists or other, as human need to communicate and connect soars via Facebook and its spawn, and as technology alleges to liberate and open intellectual doors to all, we should take care not to get so involved in interim forms of books that we forget books' true source of power: content, words, implicit and literal images that move human thought and action. That we not allow future 'books' to circulate at varying levels along any kind of a technology caste system. That even as we push visual and artistic boundaries of what is considered a book (guilty, here) we not forget first and foremost that genie IS out of bottle. So debating the interim stages to come can be illuminating but somewhat secondary to the real work: making sure future evolutions of Kindles and on-line best-sellers include classics, latest text of edge and risk, complete versions of things, and reach people in the technological lag periods of older hard- and software and use habits. We need to take care that content continue to flourish. I personally, sculpturally, love to obsess on the concept of these beloved containers (books). But we do so under a very important umbrella. I felt this piece flirted with it but didnt say it. So i just tried to.