Question for the academics here!
In my research, I struggle with engaging with certain authors—even if they were influential—because their ideas are abhorrent.
Take F.T. Marinetti, for example: groundbreaking in poetry and typography, but an unapologetic fascist.
How do you deal with this?
In my research, I struggle with engaging with certain authors—even if they were influential—because their ideas are abhorrent.
Take F.T. Marinetti, for example: groundbreaking in poetry and typography, but an unapologetic fascist.
How do you deal with this?
Comments
That said:
Teaching a poem without its authorship is one approach.
Another approach is to teach the poem & its authorship and condemn the authorship.
Dark question: is fascism good for typography?
Just asking: no other person than Marinetti could have created Marinetti's work, but was it because of the fascism or because of other parts of Marinetti?
What if it was because of the fascism? What then?
Is this okay?
As in: the Zodiac killer's letters or various other things.
It is better to separate the author’s artistic work as an individual, it helps and it does not necessarily validate his art as the ideas and practices of the person.
Here, the question is about engaging with works in order to discuss them rigorously with an audience.
That adds a layer of responsibility—not just to ourselves, but to those who will rely on our analysis.