I was fortunate enough to attend a lecture by Borges when I was an undergraduate student at UT Austin. He was blind by that time, and was led about the campus by a ravishingly beautiful young Argentinian woman. I was reminded of Tiresias. It is difficult to approach Borges work without a fairly intimate acquaintance with Franz Kafka. Many of Borges' stories are responses to the maddening paradoxes raised by Kafka's works. Thank you for including Borges in this series. His "Tlon, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius" is a fictional deconstruction of the central problem of modern philosophy: how does language represent "reality". "Library of Babel" is a beautiful metaphor for the project of science. "The Lottery in Babylon" is an extended metaphor that takes us to the heart of quantum mechanics.
I loved The Library of Babel and The Book of Sand the most. Well, The Zahir too. But, The Library, with using books to signify multi-universes--how there are never-ending books, it just seemed so brilliant to me. I've listened to that one a-many times now. The Book of Sands got to me in an eerie sense. 'Neither the book nor the sand has any beginning or end.' 'None is the first page; none is the last.' 'I lost The Book of Sand on one of the basement's musty shelves.' Just with the last sentence made me have to re-listen to it a-many times as well. As a matter of fact, when first listening to it, the statement of the book being lost almost seemed abrupt to me. I don't know, it just did. But really, using books as metaphors for the infinite universes captivated my attention.
I have a fairly comprehensive home library...I read JLB Fictions and then his Non Fictions alternately...then I’ll re-read them. One man creating a world for us to discover and learn from is the greatest understatement of the year when speaking about JLB.
@@GregoryBSadler thanks for replying Prof, that is what is great about internet. A bit torn myself, but overall drawn towards stories as well. Emotion evanescent , quickly passing, but also universal as well. His mind dualistic: both sides needing to find expression. a great achievement.
This was a delight! I've just been rereading Labyrinths, and was wishing I was in a class or a book group so that I could have someone to talk to about it. (My husband assures me he will get around to reading it any day now...) This video was a lot of fun to watch, and looking at the list of authors listed in this series, I might have to check out some of the others. Thank you for posting! :)
you commenting that borges encourages you to experiment more with thought and play around with ideas more reminds me of what im seeing in shestov's all things are possible
Wonderful as usual professor. I myself try to write fictions in the style of Borges. It would be a honor if, someday, you'd try a little piece of my authorship.
@@GregoryBSadler Yes exactly. I think the symbolic, nameles universe of Borges and the nameles horror of Lovecraft are related, and they could very wel be connected by a writer with the right instinct and talent.
Borges makes you question what is reality, plus other things like what is great prose. Can short story be more complete than a big book? And other things.
Gregory B. Sadler ñor necessarily. Borges doesn’t leave space for the reader to manipulate meanings and events. Yes, his stories are complícated because what he talks about is a complicated matter; bit because he doesnt complete his narratives leaving “open endings” and all that.
Circular Ruin is astral travel. Invocation. Journeying. Metaphors for creativity. Trance state. Borge is a magician. He believes in the power of words that modern civilization has eroded much like magic was eroded.
I'm sorry, but Juan Domingo Peron was NEVER president under a dictatorship. All of his tenures were democratic. He started his political career as the Minister of Labor of a dictatorial government, but he was never a dictator himself. All his periods as president were won in fair democratic ellections.
Hey Tim! I'm not sure if you mention this, but here's another tidbit for you: Borges not only made up books in fiction. When he was director of the UBA Library (or the National Library, I can't remember), he created an actual entry for the Necronomicon (from Lovecraft) in the library's catalogue. Another tidbit: Once he was giving a press conference and he said "Shakespeare", but he pronounced it phonetically in spanish (something like "Shaq-ehs-peh-ah-reh") which is technically correct in Spanish. When a journalist attempted to correct him on his pronounciation, he proceeded to deliver the rest of the conference in perfect english.
@@GregoryBSadler Peron's was a Mussolini- inspired fascist government, which got caught up by the end of WW2 and had to pick the side of the Allies because they had no choice if they wanted to survive. So there's this dichotomy of a kind of peaceful, in some ways even progressive government, but also an ubiquitous, totalitarian (with a democratic facade) and populist one. There were children books distributed by the government which featured Peron and his wife as god-like beings who could do no wrong, as a mere example. Many catholic schools were burnt as a result of the conflict between Peron and the Church. Then there's the whole influence Peronism had on Argentine politics, and the infinite number of political movements that derived from it (from neo Nazi ideologies to fusionism). That's a whole different subject on its own. Great class, by the way! As an argentinian myself, it's always nice to see people like Borges get some well-deserved recognition.
I was fortunate enough to attend a lecture by Borges when I was an undergraduate student at UT Austin. He was blind by that time, and was led about the campus by a ravishingly beautiful young Argentinian woman. I was reminded of Tiresias. It is difficult to approach Borges work without a fairly intimate acquaintance with Franz Kafka. Many of Borges' stories are responses to the maddening paradoxes raised by Kafka's works. Thank you for including Borges in this series. His "Tlon, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius" is a fictional deconstruction of the central problem of modern philosophy: how does language represent "reality". "Library of Babel" is a beautiful metaphor for the project of science. "The Lottery in Babylon" is an extended metaphor that takes us to the heart of quantum mechanics.
That's very cool that you got to see him lecture
I love that you choose to talk about Borges. I wonder how yo manage to upload this amounts of knowledge. Thank you for making our lives better.
You're very welcome. I just keep at it
I loved The Library of Babel and The Book of Sand the most. Well, The Zahir too.
But, The Library, with using books to signify multi-universes--how there are never-ending books, it just seemed so brilliant to me. I've listened to that one a-many times now.
The Book of Sands got to me in an eerie sense.
'Neither the book nor the sand has any beginning or end.'
'None is the first page; none is the last.'
'I lost The Book of Sand on one of the basement's musty shelves.'
Just with the last sentence made me have to re-listen to it a-many times as well.
As a matter of fact, when first listening to it, the statement of the book being lost almost seemed abrupt to me. I don't know, it just did.
But really, using books as metaphors for the infinite universes captivated my attention.
These are such a treat. Thanks, Dr. Sadler.
You're welcome!
Thank you. Really clear lecture and great questions from and interaction with the class. On to further reading now 👍👍
You're welcome!
I have a fairly comprehensive home library...I read JLB Fictions and then his Non Fictions alternately...then I’ll re-read them. One man creating a world for us to discover and learn from is the greatest understatement of the year when speaking about JLB.
Yes, his works are eminently rereadable
two distinct minds weren't they? The philosophical fiction and the emotional poetry, a great man.
Indeed, though I'll admit I'm much more interested in the stories
@@GregoryBSadler thanks for replying Prof, that is what is great about internet.
A bit torn myself, but overall drawn towards stories as well.
Emotion evanescent , quickly passing, but also universal as well. His mind dualistic: both sides needing to find expression. a great achievement.
This was a delight! I've just been rereading Labyrinths, and was wishing I was in a class or a book group so that I could have someone to talk to about it. (My husband assures me he will get around to reading it any day now...) This video was a lot of fun to watch, and looking at the list of authors listed in this series, I might have to check out some of the others. Thank you for posting! :)
You're very welcome! I'll return to Borges again in the series eventually
you commenting that borges encourages you to experiment more with thought and play around with ideas more reminds me of what im seeing in shestov's all things are possible
They both certainly are people who took ideas seriously
Borges is on my bucket list; you moved him way up. Thanks. Off to library. :)
I think you'll enjoy him!
Thank you very much for the video. You are a god among petty teachers.
Well I don't know about that, but I'll take the compliment - thanks!
This is very cool, just getting into his work
He'll keep you thinking about those stories a long time
Thank you. Extremely well explained .
Fascinating, thanks for posting this!
You're very welcome!
Wonderful as usual professor. I myself try to write fictions in the style of Borges. It would be a honor if, someday, you'd try a little piece of my authorship.
I would have loved to read a collective story of Jorge Luis Borges and Philips Howard Lovecraft
You mean a collaboration?
@@GregoryBSadler Yes exactly. I think the symbolic, nameles universe of Borges and the nameles horror of Lovecraft are related, and they could very wel be connected by a writer with the right instinct and talent.
10:15: "If anybody else had failed to show up, I don't think we would have found space for them". Where does this quote come from, exactly?
Macedonio Fernandez, quoted by Borges.
Borges makes you question what is reality, plus other things like what is great prose. Can short story be more complete than a big book? And other things.
Well, if a short story is more complete, that's because Borges must trick the reader into doing all the "filling out" work
Gregory B. Sadler ñor necessarily. Borges doesn’t leave space for the reader to manipulate meanings and events. Yes, his stories are complícated because what he talks about is a complicated matter; bit because he doesnt complete his narratives leaving “open endings” and all that.
Are you familiar with Cammell and Roeg’s Performance?
Never heard of them. What’s the relevance to Borges?
Circular Ruin is astral travel. Invocation. Journeying. Metaphors for creativity. Trance state. Borge is a magician. He believes in the power of words that modern civilization has eroded much like magic was eroded.
Library of Babel \m/
Those are two things I wouldn't have thought to see together!
Internet of Babel lol
I meant the "Library of Babel" and the horns!
I'm sorry, but Juan Domingo Peron was NEVER president under a dictatorship. All of his tenures were democratic.
He started his political career as the Minister of Labor of a dictatorial government, but he was never a dictator himself. All his periods as president were won in fair democratic ellections.
Happy to accept your apology. . .
Hey Tim!
I'm not sure if you mention this, but here's another tidbit for you:
Borges not only made up books in fiction. When he was director of the UBA Library (or the National Library, I can't remember), he created an actual entry for the Necronomicon (from Lovecraft) in the library's catalogue.
Another tidbit:
Once he was giving a press conference and he said "Shakespeare", but he pronounced it phonetically in spanish (something like "Shaq-ehs-peh-ah-reh") which is technically correct in Spanish. When a journalist attempted to correct him on his pronounciation, he proceeded to deliver the rest of the conference in perfect english.
@@GregoryBSadler Peron's was a Mussolini- inspired fascist government, which got caught up by the end of WW2 and had to pick the side of the Allies because they had no choice if they wanted to survive. So there's this dichotomy of a kind of peaceful, in some ways even progressive government, but also an ubiquitous, totalitarian (with a democratic facade) and populist one. There were children books distributed by the government which featured Peron and his wife as god-like beings who could do no wrong, as a mere example. Many catholic schools were burnt as a result of the conflict between Peron and the Church.
Then there's the whole influence Peronism had on Argentine politics, and the infinite number of political movements that derived from it (from neo Nazi ideologies to fusionism). That's a whole different subject on its own.
Great class, by the way! As an argentinian myself, it's always nice to see people like Borges get some well-deserved recognition.