Besedne postaje 2024

Sodelujeta: prof. dr. Alojzija Zupan Sosič in Barbara Korun 

Na začetku je bilo drevo, zapiše Alojzija Zupan Sosič, redna profesorica na Oddelku za slovenistiko FF v Ljubljani, v svoji pesniški zbirki Drevo delfin (Center za slovensko književnost, 2024). In temu drevesu prisoja veliko imen: hrast, carjevič, divja jablana, breza, vrba … Ali nosi drevo v svoji krošnji tudi druge pomene,  ločene od rastlinskih? Kako je to drevo povezano z družino, materinskim mitom, vojno? Kakšna pa je njegova vez z delfinom?  O vsem tem in še o marsičem se je z avtorico knjige na Besedni postaji Knjigarne FF pogovarjala pesnica, pisateljica in esejistka Barbara Korun. 

Sodelujeta: prof. dr. Robin Bates in prof. dr. Igor Maver; Pogovor je potekal v angleščini 

Uvodne besede prof. dr. Igorja Mavra

»Spoštovani gledalci, dobrodošli, današnji gost v seriji intervjujev Besedne postaje Filozofske fakultete je prof. dr. Robin Bates. Diplomiral je na Carleton Collegeu ter magistriral in doktoriral iz angleščine na Univerzi Emory v Atlanti. Svojo kariero je preživel kot učitelj na St Mary's College of Maryland blizu Washingtona DC, v tem času pa je dvakrat prejel Fulbrightovo štipendijo za poučevanje na Filozofski fakulteti Univerze v Ljubljani. Nedavno je objavil dve knjigi: How Beowulf Can Save America: An Epic Hero's Guide to Defeating the Politics of Rage in knjigo Better Living through Literature: How Books Change Lives and (Sometimes) History. … Leta 2018 se je upokojil in živi v Sewaneeju v Tennesseeju, kjer je odraščal kot otrok. Dr. Bates in njegova žena Julia sta poleg pedagoškega in znanstvenega dela v spomin na najstarejšega sina Justina, ki je umrl v nesreči, vzpostavila študentsko izmenjavo med St Mary's College of Maryland in Oddelkom za angleščino Filozofske fakultete Univerze v Ljubljani. V okviru študentske izmenjave je 30 slovenskih študentov en semester študiralo na St Mary's College in primerljivo število ameriških študentov na Filozofski fakulteti. Batesovi vidijo štipendijo kot način zahvale Sloveniji za številne bogate izkušnje, ki jih je njihova družina doživela v tej državi. Leta 2023 je profesor Bates na predlog FF prejel priznanje Pro Universitate labacensi Univerze v Ljubljani  za svoje neutrudno delo za študente angleškega jezika. Osebno sem imel priložnost z njim razpravljati  o knjigah, družbeni in kulturni zgodovini, kadarkoli je obiskal Slovenijo. V intervjuju se bova pogovarjala o njegovi pravkar izdani knjigi o tem, kako pomembna je literatura in kako vplivna je (lahko) pri »spreminjanju življenj in (včasih) zgodovine«, če citiram del naslova knjige Better Living through Literature: How Books Change Lives and (Sometimes) History, v slovenskem prevodu Književnost za boljše življenje: Kako knjige spreminjajo življenja in (včasih) zgodovino, ki je v angleščini izšla pri založbi Quoir iz Chica v Kaliforniji, 2024 , 385 str. Knjiga je urejena kronološko, avtorji pa segajo od klasične književnosti do britanske književnosti 17., 18. in 19. stoletja, vse do Brechta v 20. stoletju. Literarna teorija je v zvezi z vplivom literature na naša življenja obravnavana ločeno, od antike do S. Freuda, W. Bootha, H. Blooma pa vse do sodobne M. Nussbaum, če omenimo le nekatere. Nekatera poglavja nosijo naslove, na primer, »Moč literature«, »Sila za moralno preobrazbo«, »Sila za družbeno preobrazbo«, »Glas zatiranih«, »Usposabljanje za državljanstvo« itd.«

Introduction by Prof. dr. Igor Maver

»Dear viewers, welcome, today's guest in the interview series Word Stations of the Faculty of Arts at the University of Ljubljana is Professor Robin Bates. Dr. Robin Bates received his B.A. from Carleton College and his M.A. and Ph.D in English at Emory University in Atlanta. He spent his career teaching at St. Mary's College of Maryland near Washington DC, during which time he twice received Fulbright Scholarships for the University of Ljubljana. He has recently published two books, How Beowulf Can Save America: An Epic Hero's Guide to Defeating the Politics of Rage and his most recent book Better Living through Literature: How Books Change Lives and (Sometimes) History. In 2018 he retired to Sewanee, Tennessee, where he grew up as a child. In addition to his teaching and scholarship, Dr. Bates and his wife Julia, in honour of their oldest son Justin, who died in an accident, set up a student exchange between St. Mary's College of Maryland and the Department of English of the Faculty of Arts at the University of Ljubljana. The student exchange has seen 30 Slovenian students study at St. Mary's College for a semester and a comparable number of American students study at the University of Ljubljana. The Bateses see the scholarship as a means of thanking Slovenia for the many rich experiences their family has had in the country. In 2023 Professor Bates was, nominated by the Faculty of Arts, awarded a Recognition Pro Universitate labacensi of the University of Ljubljana for his unstinting work for the students of English. I personally have had the occasion to enjoy debating books, social and cultural history with him whenever he has visited Slovenia. In the interview we will be discussing his just released book on how much literature matters and how powerful literature is and can be in »changing lives and (sometimes) history«, if I quote from the book's title: Better Living through Literature: How Books Change Lives and (Sometimes) History, published by Quoir from Chico in California, 2024 , 385 pp. The book is arranged chronologically and the authors range from classical literature to the 17th, 18th and 19th century British literature, all the way to Brecht in the 20th century. Literary theory, with regard to the impact of literature on our lives, is addressed separately, from classical antiquity to S. Freud, W. Booth, H. Bloom, all the way to the contemporary M. Nussbaum, to just mention a few. Some of the chapters are titled, for example, »The power of literature«, »Force for moral transformation«, »Force for social transformation«, »Voice of the oppressed«, »Training ground for citizenship«, etc.«