Comments on: Grave robbery http://stevenpoole.net/articles/grave-robbery/ words & music Fri, 25 Jul 2008 16:03:18 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: Steven http://stevenpoole.net/articles/grave-robbery/#comment-1222 Steven Sun, 10 Feb 2008 10:51:30 +0000 http://stevenpoole.net/articles/grave-robbery/#comment-1222 <em>Technoclasm</em> is an excellent coinage, though I fear that it might be misunderstood since these days <em>techno-</em> in English has come to mean more or less exclusively "having to do with technology". Maybe we should insist on it nonetheless. Recently in Slate there was <a href="http://www.slate.com/id/2181859" rel="nofollow">a story about Nabokov's last, unfinished novel</a>, which he left instructions to have destroyed. Apparently Dmitri is dithering about whether or not to feed it to the "scholars". My view remains that of the above article. Technoclasm is an excellent coinage, though I fear that it might be misunderstood since these days techno- in English has come to mean more or less exclusively “having to do with technology”. Maybe we should insist on it nonetheless.

Recently in Slate there was a story about Nabokov’s last, unfinished novel, which he left instructions to have destroyed. Apparently Dmitri is dithering about whether or not to feed it to the “scholars”. My view remains that of the above article.

]]> By: Ken http://stevenpoole.net/articles/grave-robbery/#comment-816 Ken Tue, 01 Jan 2008 09:13:32 +0000 http://stevenpoole.net/articles/grave-robbery/#comment-816 I've been trying to find any information about the tendency for artists to destroy their own work, but I couldn't come up with much except this. The issue is well known, but rarely discussed and it's hard because this "condition" has no name. From Greek, it would be something like "technoclasm" - art-destruction. I'd like to find psychological studies on this condition. I’ve been trying to find any information about the tendency for artists to destroy their own work, but I couldn’t come up with much except this. The issue is well known, but rarely discussed and it’s hard because this “condition” has no name. From Greek, it would be something like “technoclasm” - art-destruction. I’d like to find psychological studies on this condition.

]]> By: Steven http://stevenpoole.net/articles/grave-robbery/#comment-546 Steven Fri, 23 Nov 2007 12:32:34 +0000 http://stevenpoole.net/articles/grave-robbery/#comment-546 Yes, possibly that is a mitigating difference... Thanks for the lovely example. Yes, possibly that is a mitigating difference… Thanks for the lovely example.

]]> By: elberry http://stevenpoole.net/articles/grave-robbery/#comment-544 elberry Fri, 23 Nov 2007 11:42:34 +0000 http://stevenpoole.net/articles/grave-robbery/#comment-544 Also Vergil instructed that his unfinished (and probably unfinishable) Aeneid be burned; but of course Augustus countermanded this. There seems a difference between Augustus recognising (i suppose) the genius of Vergil's abruptly-stopped epic, and literary scavengers hauling notebooks out of the trash to make their careers in academia. Also Vergil instructed that his unfinished (and probably unfinishable) Aeneid be burned; but of course Augustus countermanded this. There seems a difference between Augustus recognising (i suppose) the genius of Vergil’s abruptly-stopped epic, and literary scavengers hauling notebooks out of the trash to make their careers in academia.

]]>