Monday, April 25, 2011

Samuel Beckett - Entitled Opinions

Entitled Opinions, Robert Harrison's weekly radio show at Stanford is a long standing, much revered, intellectual podcast which has seen long caesuras in the past. It is expected to have one of several months in the coming time as well. So, podcast listeners, be aware - many of you have let me know in the past they had thought the show was canceled. It was not and is not planned to be either. Harrison will be on a sabbatical and the show is planning to continue as soon as he is back. (feed)

As a parting gift, Harrison delivered a monologue about Samuel Beckett which I want to especially recommend to you. Harrison analyzes Beckett's work and philosophy and picks sections from Molloy and Malone Dies as illustrations - which he reads out most admirably.

Beckett is no great optimist about life and human nature. Harrison sees in this a kind of prophetic view that he ascribes to the poetic capacity of modern life and modern man. Again no pretty vista, but a very compelling listen.

More Samuel Beckett:
Waiting for Godot.

More Entitled Opinions:
Moby Dick,
Two issues of Entitled Opinions,
Heidegger,
Pink Floyd,
Alexander the Great.