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William Eaton
Slowly but surely William Eaton has developed a unique style that combines the personal, the political and the intellectual. Or perhaps not so unique: He has been compared to Monta...view moreSlowly but surely William Eaton has developed a unique style that combines the personal, the political and the intellectual. Or perhaps not so unique: He has been compared to Montaigne and accused of trying to revive old forms: the intellectual essay and philosophical dialogue. Bill Buford, then at GRANTA, described William’s work as “ironic, humorous and quite authoritative”. Manuel Puig said that William combines “the compelling truth of documentary with the grace of romantic fiction”.
For the past year or so William has devoted his time to preparing two fictional dialogues in which characters speak both about ideas and about feelings and experiences underlying these ideas. In the first of these dialogues, Professor of Ignorance Condemns the Airplane, a professor who has become notorious for calling attention to the human attachment to ignorance is interviewed by a journalist. The recurring question is: What does this professor nonetheless believe, in his heart, despite his conviction that we cannot know the right way to live? This leads to a discussion, by both these men, about what is, or seems, truly important in life.
The second, more extensive text, And Now, I Think, We Can Say, is a dialogue between a research librarian and a labor lawyer, ostensibly about a passage in Wittgenstein, but ultimately about the confusion and violence through which we make our ways and try to find solace. The dialogue -- recounted and extensively commented upon by a third fictional character -- may call to mind Pale Fire, as well as Plato. The text mixes philosophical explorations with political commentary, history and biography, everyday anecdotes and jokes. (The Utne Reader once referred to William as a joyful skeptic.)
Prior to turning to the dialogue form, William was writing essays. For a few years these essays spoke directly and often quite briefly about personal experiences, but then — in a dark period? — the texts became longer and more intellectual, footnotes and bibliographies growing apace.
Prior to this, William was an award-winning journalist in the “alternative” (leftwing) press and a fiction writer. He received an MFA from Columbia, Algonquin Books published his novel, and an English organization once nominated him as “erotic writer of the year”. Bilingual (English, French), he has long earned a decent living as a linguist and editor. He lives in New York with his son Jonah who has a habit of creeping into his writing, though hardly with the boldness with which he has captured William’s heart.view less
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