The Thélyson Orélien affair raises an important question: who is allowed to tell stories? Is it only those with enough socio-cultural capital to write books (or to have them written for them in an acceptable way)? What of people with compelling stories who are less able to master grammar or to pay ghost-writers? Is theContinue reading “Is it the elite’s prerogative to tell stories? The Orélien affair.”
Tag Archives: books
Thélyson Orélien : What is the Problem?
Over the last few weeks the French publishing world has been in turmoil. Accusations of AI-use have been levelled at M.Orélien, the author of C’était ça ou mourir, which has won the FNAC literary prize and was shortlisted for more. The whiff of prejudice First, a whiff of prejudice surrounds the singling out of thisContinue reading “Thélyson Orélien : What is the Problem?”
Gravity’s Rainbow: an oasis of sense in a non-sensical world
Over the last few days, instead of doom-scrolling the news each morning, I have been reading Thomas Pynchon’s Gravity’s Rainbow. The book has a reputation for being grotesque, absurd and nonsensical, a reputation partly deserved; but that’s the point, its reputation underscores its sheer exuberance, black humour and mind-bending narration, narration which jumps, with dizzyingContinue reading “Gravity’s Rainbow: an oasis of sense in a non-sensical world”
Carney ignores his own advice, or how to fuel discontent
When one looks back, in a few months or years, and attempts to understand how Carney’s liberal government so utterly failed, the Air Canada strike will probably be part of the story. After slashing the carbon tax — against the well thought-through but manifestly vacuous arguments set out in his book — Carney is nowContinue reading “Carney ignores his own advice, or how to fuel discontent”
