Prose: The Interview

Evolution of the Interview

The interview has become a commonplace of journalism, with opinions ranging from it being a source of truest truth to a contemptible intrusion into private lives.

V.S. Naipaul and Lewis Carroll's Views

V.S. Naipaul feels that interviews wound people and cause them to lose a part of themselves, whereas Lewis Carroll had a horror of being interviewed and used frequent rebuffs to silence interviewers.

Umberto Eco's Concept of 'Interstices'

Eco explains that he utilizes empty spaces or 'interstices' in his life—such as waiting for someone or riding an elevator—to do productive academic work, which explains how he writes so much.

The Success of 'The Name of the Rose'

Eco's novel became a massive metaphysical and detective-story bestseller, a mystery that baffled publishers who usually assume readers want easy, light entertainment.

Academic vs. Creative Writing

Eco considers himself a university professor who writes novels only on Sundays, viewing his creative writing as an extension of his philosophical and semiotic interests.