Enacting and exploring ideas in fiction: The Overstory and The Portable Veblen
Authors: Nordberg, D.
Journal: New Writing
Volume: 21
Issue: 1
Pages: 73-93
ISSN: 1479-0726
DOI: 10.1080/14790726.2023.2222098
Abstract:Philosophically engaged fiction often employs ideas in ways that reflect the exploitation-exploration dilemma in developmental psychology: by exploiting well articulated theories by enacting their conflicts, or by exploring the uncertainties of puzzling ontologies or moral complexities. We can see this in action in many works, but some novels of ideas seek to defy such categorisation, with lessons for readers and writers. This paper analyses two recent works–The Overstory by Richard Powers (2018) and Elizabeth McKenzie’s The Portable Veblen (2016)–to show how they deal with related concerns and settings through very different approaches. While Powers offers an enactment, its complexity seeks to evade the book becoming a simple polemic. McKenzie’s protagonist explores her muddled identity, philosophy and much else while flirting with the enactment of ideas when she does not comprehend.
https://eprints.bournemouth.ac.uk/38721/
Source: Scopus
Enacting and exploring ideas in fiction: <i>The Overstory</i> and <i>The Portable Veblen</i>
Authors: Nordberg, D.
Journal: NEW WRITING-THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR THE PRACTICE AND THEORY OF CREATIVE WRITING
Volume: 21
Issue: 1
Pages: 73-93
eISSN: 1943-3107
ISSN: 1479-0726
DOI: 10.1080/14790726.2023.2222098
https://eprints.bournemouth.ac.uk/38721/
Source: Web of Science (Lite)
Enacting and exploring ideas in fiction: The Overstory and The Portable Veblen
Authors: Nordberg, D.
Journal: New Writing: the international journal for the practice and theory of creative writing
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
ISSN: 1479-0726
DOI: 10.1080/14790726.2023.2222098
Abstract:Philosophically engaged fiction often employs ideas in ways that reflect the exploitation-exploration dilemma in developmental psychology: by exploiting well articulated theories by enacting their conflicts, or by exploring the uncertainties of puzzling ontologies or moral complexities. We can see this in action in many works, but some novels of ideas seek to defy such categorization, with lessons for readers and writers. This paper analyzes two recent works – The Overstory by Richard Powers (2018) and Elizabeth McKenzie’s The Portable Veblen (2016) – to show how they deal with related concerns and settings through very different approaches. While Powers offers an enactment, its complexity seeks to evade the book becoming a simple polemic. McKenzie’s protagonist explores her muddled identity, philosophy and much else while flirting with the enactment of ideas when she does not comprehend.
https://eprints.bournemouth.ac.uk/38721/
https://doi.org/10.1080/14790726.2023.2222098
Source: Manual
Enacting and exploring ideas in fiction: The Overstory and The Portable Veblen
Authors: Nordberg, D.
Journal: New Writing
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
ISSN: 1479-0726
Abstract:Philosophically engaged fiction often employs ideas in ways that reflect the exploitation-exploration dilemma in developmental psychology: by exploiting well articulated theories by enacting their conflicts, or by exploring the uncertainties of puzzling ontologies or moral complexities. We can see this in action in many works, but some novels of ideas seek to defy such categorization, with lessons for readers and writers. This paper analyzes two recent works – The Overstory by Richard Powers (2018) and Elizabeth McKenzie’s The Portable Veblen (2016) – to show how they deal with related concerns and settings through very different approaches. While Powers offers an enactment, its complexity seeks to evade the book becoming a simple polemic. McKenzie’s protagonist explores her muddled identity, philosophy and much else while flirting with the enactment of ideas when she does not comprehend.
https://eprints.bournemouth.ac.uk/38721/
Source: BURO EPrints