About the most prestigious award for literature in the light of the expansion of literary boundaries
Photo: AP/TASS
And this year, the Swedish Academy surprised the world: Nobel prize for literature to Bob Dylan (b. 1940). Real name — Robert Zimmerman. Alias “Dylan” is taken in honor of his favorite poet , Dylan Thomas.There were several aliases, among which stands out “Sergei Petrov” (grandparents on both lines — from the Russian Empire).
Well, a cult figure. Songwriter and performer. According to the survey of the magazine Rolling Stones – second only to The Beatles. Most of his famous works from the 1960s against the Vietnam war and for civil rights.
The prize was awarded with the wording: “For the creation of a new poetic expression in the great American song tradition.” Commenting on the award, Secretary of the Swedish Academy Sarah danius has compared creativity to a new winner with the work of storytellers, which took Homer and Sappho — “…the texts were originally intended for the execution of the scene, often with musical accompaniment. As the songs of Bob Dylan”.
Someone didn’t like it, someone, on the contrary, was delighted. The solution, of course, unexpected, but Homer so Homer… In any case, not such shameful, as rewardingalexiyevich the last year. Still, people of art! More surprising is the argument of those who defend the choice of the Swedish Academy from criticism.
These advocates claim that the awarding of the Bob Dylan suggests that the boundaries of literature apart, genres transformirovalsya a new poetics.“An irreversible process in the literature, and, like it or not, but literature expands its borders, including elements that were previously not considered literary. For example, the same original song“, — says Evgeny vodolazkin up close. Rather than taking this new poetics (from the point of view of the defenders) only literaturotsentrichna conservatives, gloomy and obtuse reactionaries, etc.
I believe in evolution of genres, that unilateralement can go into literary, and Vice versa ( Yu Tynyanov). For example, DOS passos included the novels notes from Newspapers, songs, advertising, etc. — and they became literature. The same was done Evgeny Popov in the novel with the newspaper “Perfection of life” and our other writers. Yes, even if it is just “obscene inscription fence”, though the bill for utility services — all can become literature! (Until recently — parody – limit brought the receptionAndrei Sinyavsky, giving a sample of “new Russian prose” excerpt from the textbook of the French language.)
But: the occurrence in literature is not the solution of any of the awards Committee, as suggested, for example, Galina Yuzefovich. She naively thinks that this is the Nobel Committee included “in his time in the space of literature and the historical works of Theodor Mommsen, and the absurdist drama of Samuel Beckett, and the innovative prose of William Faulkner“.
The entry (on) in the literature takes place, so to speak, in the field, employing the authors, each plowing his furrow. There and boundaries of genres are changing and new poetics is born. While the awards Committee is not even the prerogative to codify these changes. (Last year was saying: the author is a new poetics! But the poetics itself is not new, remember the Studs Terkel (1912 — 2008) or Alex Haley (1921-1992), who worked in the genre of oral history – Oral History. And most importantly: Aleksievich is a special case, it is not Oral History, not non-fiction, and fakes a huge size.)
Yes, the award of the Nobel prize for literature is not the literature really happened, someone might say – to the detriment of literature. So, Theodor Mommsen received the prize in 1902, when the candidates were: Leo Tolstoy, Emile Zola, Henrik Ibsen, William Yates … But its beautiful “Roman history” was not included in the literary space became a literary fact.
Winston Churchill was awarded in 1953, not only for mastery of historical and biographical books, but — attention! for oratory (presumably, first of all, the Fulton speech). You can still remember about my favoriteBertrand Russell, he was given the award in 1950 as “one of the brilliant representatives of rationalism and humanism, fearless fighter for freedom of speech and freedom of thought”.
Awarded people are really great. But no new poetics, nor to the expansion of the boundaries of literature and genres of these awards have nothing to do. In the same way as a Bob Dylan song. Why he does not lose a grain of its well-deserved fame. “From the songs of Bob don’t erase!” — said one homegrown wit, a pun so-so, but the meaning is accurate.
Some of our commentators have argued that the Pulitzer prize in 2008 Bob Dylan received, too, for literature, and it is in their eyes completely legalizes the choice of the Swedish Academy. In fact, the singer was awarded a special prize in the category “Awards in the arts” (“Arts awards”) — “For the enormous impact on popular music and American culture, which he rendered with the lyrical, extraordinary poetic power works”.
They say – in Russia, say, Dylan’s songs can not understand because they are in English. However, the reaction of the English audience too far from all the rave (I liked this: “They [the Nobel Committee for literature Swedish Academy] was hard to read, and picked the songs”). And with English we are not so bad…
And finally, the argument of the producer and composer Victor Drobysh: awarded correctly, because this song is worth more than the whole book. And do not like to argue just based on what book and what song. I like his song “Loneliness-bastard, loneliness, boredom…” in the words of Fame. It’s impossible to put this song on one scale, say, “Pushkin house”. Or can you?
