The Friday Book
Authors: John Barth, John Barth
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Overview
The Friday Book is a collection of occasional essays, lectures, prefaces, afterwords, and other miscellaneous nonfiction pieces, most on matters literary, written over about twenty years by a self-described “habitual novelist and occasional short-story writer.” Several pieces reflect the postmodern sensibility of my fiction – indeed, several pieces directly concern that fiction, by way of introductions to public readings, and prefaces and afterwords to particular books – as well as the author’s interest in the narrative tradition in general, from oral storytelling to contemporary literary experimentalism, and other shop talk of writers and writing teachers. Most were originally written “on Friday mornings on Langford Creek,” an Eastern Shore of Maryland tributary of the Chesapeake Bay, where I make up my fictions during other weekday mornings, and hope to continue so doing till the day of my own demise.
Book Outline
1. The Title of This Book
This section riffs on the straightforwardness (or lack thereof) of book titles, including my own. It explores straightforward titles, catchy titles, title quoted from better works, hokey romantic titles, self-referential titles, and other miscellaneous titling errors to be avoided.
Key concept: Book-titles should be straightforward. Those are the goods. Get on with it.
2. The Subtitle of This Book
I explain why subtitles should be avoided, though mine clearly couldn’t be.
Key concept: Subtitles – like printed dedications, notes on titles, author’s introductions, forewords, sonnets and epistles dedicatory, and the rest – should be avoided.
3. Author’s Introduction
Introductions should be avoided, except where quite necessary; when unavoidable, they should be brief.
Key concept: The chief purpose of introductions is to test the public-address system.
4. Some Reasons Why I Tell the Stories I Tell the Way I Tell Them Rather Than Some Other Sort of Stories Some Other Way
I offer an “apology” for my life as a writer, beginning with reflections on twinhood, my own included, and its influence on my life and art. Also discussed here are the significance of place, particularly tidewater Maryland and its evocative marshes, as well as a formative experience at Juilliard studying music and a subsequent digression into the art of teaching.
Key concept: “Of the making of writers there is no end till The End unmakes them.”
5. How to Make a Universe
I deliver a lecture originally given at Hiram College in which I discuss how art, like religion, offers a “homemade” universe or cosmology as an alternative to the flawed universe we find ourselves inhabiting, including reflections upon the role of the artist and the proper function of art. The lecture explores such subjects as the seeming arbitrariness and cruelty of the natural world, the nature of meaning and value, and the role of the writer-as-demiurge. It argues playfully that if the artist is like God and a novel like the universe, then conversely God is a novelist and the universe His novel.
Key concept: What a botch Nature is.
6. Epigraphs
Epigraphs, too, should be avoided as a kind of “rhetorical attitudinizing.”
Key concept: Epigraphs… should be avoided.
Essential Questions
1. How does Barth define the role of the novelist, and how does this relate to the creation of meaning and value in literature?
Barth argues that the novelist, like God, creates universes. These fictional worlds, while not offering a Weltanschauung, provide a complete, ordered experience distinct from reality’s apparent chaos. He illustrates this through the contrast between Goethe’s Werther (where suicide has meaning within the narrative) and the real-world suicides inspired by it (where meaning is absent). This highlights fiction’s inherent orderliness, its capacity to impose meaning where life may lack it. This creative power suggests that art’s value lies not in reflecting life, but in making something new and self-contained.
2. What is Barth’s view on literary titles, and how does this reflect his broader aesthetic philosophy?
Barth champions straightforward titles, arguing they respect the reader’s intelligence and prioritize content. He criticizes overly clever, obscure, or self-referential titles as distractions from the “goods.” This preference extends to his broader philosophy of narrative, valuing clarity and directness while acknowledging the necessity of artistry and form. He contrasts simple titles like Moby Dick with self-referential ones like This Book Needs No Title, and quoted titles, arguing that they should be avoided because they suggest a work is less than the original.
3. How does Barth view the concept of postmodernism and the practice of literary categorization?
Barth’s discomfort with labels like “postmodernist” reflects his broader unease with critical categorization. He acknowledges the existence of trends and influences but insists on the primacy of individual works. He argues that forcing artists into categories can be reductive, overlooking the unique alchemy of individual talent and creation. He’s more interested in what writers do than what labels they wear or what schools of thought they subscribe to.
4. How does the piece “Getting Oriented” connect to Barth’s personal life and recurring themes in his work?
“Getting Oriented,” initially written as a college orientation address, reflects Barth’s broader theme of disorientation in his work. He frames both his life and writing as a series of reorientations, often through revisiting and reinterpreting past material. He discusses his “new” novel, Sabbatical, which involves a couple navigating a turbulent world while contemplating parenthood, and reflects on the anxieties and challenges of mid-life and artistic continuation. He suggests that stories, especially his own, have been about finding one’s place in an uncertain world.
1. How does Barth define the role of the novelist, and how does this relate to the creation of meaning and value in literature?
Barth argues that the novelist, like God, creates universes. These fictional worlds, while not offering a Weltanschauung, provide a complete, ordered experience distinct from reality’s apparent chaos. He illustrates this through the contrast between Goethe’s Werther (where suicide has meaning within the narrative) and the real-world suicides inspired by it (where meaning is absent). This highlights fiction’s inherent orderliness, its capacity to impose meaning where life may lack it. This creative power suggests that art’s value lies not in reflecting life, but in making something new and self-contained.
2. What is Barth’s view on literary titles, and how does this reflect his broader aesthetic philosophy?
Barth champions straightforward titles, arguing they respect the reader’s intelligence and prioritize content. He criticizes overly clever, obscure, or self-referential titles as distractions from the “goods.” This preference extends to his broader philosophy of narrative, valuing clarity and directness while acknowledging the necessity of artistry and form. He contrasts simple titles like Moby Dick with self-referential ones like This Book Needs No Title, and quoted titles, arguing that they should be avoided because they suggest a work is less than the original.
3. How does Barth view the concept of postmodernism and the practice of literary categorization?
Barth’s discomfort with labels like “postmodernist” reflects his broader unease with critical categorization. He acknowledges the existence of trends and influences but insists on the primacy of individual works. He argues that forcing artists into categories can be reductive, overlooking the unique alchemy of individual talent and creation. He’s more interested in what writers do than what labels they wear or what schools of thought they subscribe to.
4. How does the piece “Getting Oriented” connect to Barth’s personal life and recurring themes in his work?
“Getting Oriented,” initially written as a college orientation address, reflects Barth’s broader theme of disorientation in his work. He frames both his life and writing as a series of reorientations, often through revisiting and reinterpreting past material. He discusses his “new” novel, Sabbatical, which involves a couple navigating a turbulent world while contemplating parenthood, and reflects on the anxieties and challenges of mid-life and artistic continuation. He suggests that stories, especially his own, have been about finding one’s place in an uncertain world.
Key Takeaways
1. Art as World-Making
Barth’s emphasis on the novelist as a world-maker rather than a world-reflector suggests that art’s power comes not from mirroring reality but from creating distinct, coherent experiences. This idea extends beyond fiction, suggesting that creativity in any field involves constructing self-contained systems with their own internal logic and coherence, even if they draw inspiration from the “real world.”
Practical Application:
In product design, focusing on crafting a satisfying user experience within the product’s own ecosystem is more crucial than merely trying to mirror real-world functionalities. A well-designed app, for example, should create its own internal logic and flow, rather than simply replicating existing offline processes.
2. Clarity and Directness
Barth’s preference for straightforward titles over “clever” or “catchy” ones underscores a broader value for clarity and directness in art. He believes that art should prioritize content and meaning, not distracting flourishes. This principle applies to any form of communication, including technical documentation, marketing copy, and interpersonal interactions.
Practical Application:
In technical writing, prioritizing clarity and directness is crucial. Instead of using overly technical jargon or convoluted sentences, focus on conveying information efficiently and effectively. This approach will make your documentation more user-friendly and accessible to a broader audience.
3. Skepticism of Categories
Barth’s skepticism of literary categories reminds us of the limitations of general labels. While broad trends and influences exist, individual works of art (and, by extension, any complex systems, including AI) often defy easy categorization. It is crucial to focus on the specific attributes and behaviors of individual systems rather than making generalizations based on superficial similarities.
Practical Application:
In AI safety research, avoid assuming that all AI systems will behave similarly just because they share the same underlying architecture. Focus instead on evaluating individual systems and their unique capabilities and risks.
1. Art as World-Making
Barth’s emphasis on the novelist as a world-maker rather than a world-reflector suggests that art’s power comes not from mirroring reality but from creating distinct, coherent experiences. This idea extends beyond fiction, suggesting that creativity in any field involves constructing self-contained systems with their own internal logic and coherence, even if they draw inspiration from the “real world.”
Practical Application:
In product design, focusing on crafting a satisfying user experience within the product’s own ecosystem is more crucial than merely trying to mirror real-world functionalities. A well-designed app, for example, should create its own internal logic and flow, rather than simply replicating existing offline processes.
2. Clarity and Directness
Barth’s preference for straightforward titles over “clever” or “catchy” ones underscores a broader value for clarity and directness in art. He believes that art should prioritize content and meaning, not distracting flourishes. This principle applies to any form of communication, including technical documentation, marketing copy, and interpersonal interactions.
Practical Application:
In technical writing, prioritizing clarity and directness is crucial. Instead of using overly technical jargon or convoluted sentences, focus on conveying information efficiently and effectively. This approach will make your documentation more user-friendly and accessible to a broader audience.
3. Skepticism of Categories
Barth’s skepticism of literary categories reminds us of the limitations of general labels. While broad trends and influences exist, individual works of art (and, by extension, any complex systems, including AI) often defy easy categorization. It is crucial to focus on the specific attributes and behaviors of individual systems rather than making generalizations based on superficial similarities.
Practical Application:
In AI safety research, avoid assuming that all AI systems will behave similarly just because they share the same underlying architecture. Focus instead on evaluating individual systems and their unique capabilities and risks.
Suggested Deep Dive
Chapter: How to Make a Universe
This chapter encapsulates Barth’s vision of the writer as a world-maker and the role of art in creating meaning.
Memorable Quotes
The Title of This Book. 3
Book-titles should be straightforward. Those are the goods. Get on with it.
The Subtitle of This Book. 5
Subtitles – like printed dedications, notes on titles, author’s introductions, forewords, sonnets and epistles dedicatory, and the rest – should be avoided.
Author’s Introduction. 6
The chief purpose of introductions is to test the public-address system.
Some Reasons Why I Tell the Stories I Tell the Way I Tell Them Rather Than Some Other Sort of Stories Some Other Way. 9
“Of the making of writers there is no end till The End unmakes them.”
How to Make a Universe. 20
What a botch Nature is.
The Title of This Book. 3
Book-titles should be straightforward. Those are the goods. Get on with it.
The Subtitle of This Book. 5
Subtitles – like printed dedications, notes on titles, author’s introductions, forewords, sonnets and epistles dedicatory, and the rest – should be avoided.
Author’s Introduction. 6
The chief purpose of introductions is to test the public-address system.
Some Reasons Why I Tell the Stories I Tell the Way I Tell Them Rather Than Some Other Sort of Stories Some Other Way. 9
“Of the making of writers there is no end till The End unmakes them.”
How to Make a Universe. 20
What a botch Nature is.
Comparative Analysis
Compared to other collections of literary essays, “The Friday Book” stands out for its focus on the craft of writing and storytelling, as opposed to literary criticism or theory. Unlike collections like “Nabokov’s Lectures on Literature,” which provide close readings of specific texts, “The Friday Book” examines broader themes of narrative, genre, and the writer’s role. It shares some common ground with Italo Calvino’s “Six Memos for the Next Millennium,” which also explores fundamental aspects of storytelling, but Barth’s approach is more playful, personal, and digressive. While books like “The Triggering Town” by Richard Hugo offer practical writing advice, “The Friday Book” is more concerned with exploring the underlying philosophy and psychology of art. Overall, Barth’s collection offers a unique blend of playful erudition and deeply felt conviction about the power and purpose of literature.
Reflection
“The Friday Book,” while ostensibly a collection of miscellaneous pieces, offers a coherent view of Barth’s aesthetic philosophy and creative process. His playful erudition, evident in his digressive style and self-deprecating humor, masks a deeply serious commitment to the craft of writing. While some of his opinions, particularly his pessimism about political institutions and the state of the world, may seem dated or even exaggerated, his reflections on the creative process, the nature of narrative, and the role of the writer remain relevant. The book’s informality, while occasionally bordering on self-indulgence, also allows for moments of disarming honesty and vulnerability. Barth acknowledges his own anxieties and insecurities as a writer, reminding us that even established artists struggle with self-doubt and the ever-present challenge of the blank page. In this way, “The Friday Book” offers not just an intellectual exercise, but a glimpse into the mind of a working artist.
Flashcards
What is Barth’s primary definition of the role of the novelist?
Creating self-contained worlds of order and meaning, distinct from the chaos of reality.
What is Barth’s ideal for book titles?
Straightforward and to the point, letting the “goods” speak for themselves.
What is Barth’s vision of postmodernist fiction?
A synthesis or transcension of premodernist and modernist writing, accessible but not simplistic.
Why is “orientation” a recurring theme in Barth’s work, both fiction and nonfiction?
It reflects his personal fascination with the process of orientation and disorientation.
According to Barth, what does art offer that philosophy and science do not?
The creation of alternative universes.
What is Barth’s primary definition of the role of the novelist?
Creating self-contained worlds of order and meaning, distinct from the chaos of reality.
What is Barth’s ideal for book titles?
Straightforward and to the point, letting the “goods” speak for themselves.
What is Barth’s vision of postmodernist fiction?
A synthesis or transcension of premodernist and modernist writing, accessible but not simplistic.
Why is “orientation” a recurring theme in Barth’s work, both fiction and nonfiction?
It reflects his personal fascination with the process of orientation and disorientation.
According to Barth, what does art offer that philosophy and science do not?
The creation of alternative universes.