[HillRat]

It's an interesting contrast, because Ah-Sen is an experimental formalist, and his questions progress from that point of view, whereas Powell is (hilariously) ... not. (As this feels like a Q&A-by-email with all the questions submitted en bloc, Ah-Sen probably didn't get a chance to adapt his questions, and their theoretical foundation, to Powell's responses, lending to the surrealistic air.)

[kd5bjo]

It also might be worth noting that both pull quotes are things that Ah-Sen said in the questions, instead of things that Powell said in response.

Some interviewers aim to help to tell their subjects’ stories, but others are looking for a reason to hear themselves speak. This feels like the latter case.

[Jtsummers]

> It also might be worth noting that both pull quotes are things that Ah-Sen said in the questions, instead of things that Powell said in response.

One is from Powell, the other from Ah-Sen.

>> The attractive characteristic of a young narrator is the absurdity of it and the license of it. - Powell

>> The destiny of all books is to become unmoored from the time which birthed them. - Ah-Sen

[kd5bjo]

Mea culpa; I should know better than to comment when half asleep. Thanks for the correction.

[pictureofabear]

Also, shouldn't it be "berthed" not birthed?

[Ar-Curunir]

Er why would that be the case. To be unmoored is to be detached from something. So the quote is saying that the destiny of every book is to be detached and read outside the context in which it was written (birthed).

[basil-rash]

To be berthed is to be attached to your home, as a boat. It makes way more sense to keep the nautical analogy going than to switch it over to biology. This was likely a transcription error and/or pun.

[Amezarak]

It's just a mixed metaphor. They are very common in bad writing, which isn't to say they themselves are always bad. The surrounding words make it clear it's not a typo. "which _____ them" does not make sense and would be very rare usage for "berthed".

We are born into a time and moored to it. Books are not. Books are distinct from people in this way. That's the point.

Since part of the interview is making fun of the way the questions are worded, it also fits in that respect.

[mrkstu]

Unless you’re going for some meta-joke, no.

[basil-rash]

Why not? If we’re starting with this nautical analogy (unmoored), immediately flipping to a biological one is odd. I strongly suspect this was a transcription error and/or intentional pun - the two are pronounced identically.

[tyingq]

It almost works, but "berthed" doesn't imply "created", since it means something more like "parked".

So that doesn't read right with:

"The destiny of all books is to become unmoored from the time which birthed them. - Ah-Sen"

It could have used both maybe? "...and then berthed in the present"

[bryanrasmussen]

If it were birthed it might be smarter to say orphaned or alienated or something that follows the parentage metaphor instead of unmoored.

If it were berthed it would make more sense to be something like "The destiny of all books is to become unmoored from the time where they were originally berthed".

But it is more common in English to use birthed as created than this kind of extended nautical metaphor.

And it is more common for people to mix their metaphors, especially when they are trying to sound clever.

Therefore I think they mixed their metaphors a bit.

[collingreen]

Slow clap

[OJFord]

In the TV series Julia there's a character who's an academic in literature and hosts a public access TV show interviewing authors; I thought it was a bit of a caricature, but it may as well be accurately modelled on Ah-Sen, underplaying it even.

[culi]

> Ah-Sen is an experimental formalist, and his questions progress from that point of view

What does "experimental formalist" mean in this case and what is the associated point of view you're referring to?

[mc32]

Well, there is the bit where the interviewee responds to a question that utilizes SAT words by saying he does not recognize one of them. That tends to imply it's real-time, unless the interviewee is too lazy to look up the meaning before responding to an email or wants to underscore the pretentious use of language by the interviewer, who nevertheless keeps at it.

[ghodith]

The interviewee near the end also says "I confess to feeling loose reading this question." So I'm thinking it's not real time.