A Conversation with Don DeLillo and Jonathan Franzen

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  • Опубліковано 26 лис 2024

КОМЕНТАРІ • 96

  • @timkjazz
    @timkjazz 8 років тому +32

    DeLillo is brilliant and his spoken words are heartfelt runs on his life and art.

  • @erniereyes1994
    @erniereyes1994 7 років тому +75

    Watching this video I come to think of David Foster Wallace and how happy he probably would have been to see his good friend, Johnathan Franzen, have a conversation with the great writer and mentor, Don DeLillo.

    • @liammcooper
      @liammcooper 6 років тому +17

      Coincidentally, I just came from listening to an interview with Wallace, where he says he probably wouldn't go to an author interview like this... "except for maybe Don DeLillo"

    • @thomasthompson6378
      @thomasthompson6378 4 роки тому +5

      I am just now nearly at the end of Don DeLillo's "End Zone," which is -- frankly -- one of the best things I've ever read. Simply amazing.

    • @Nick-rv1ts
      @Nick-rv1ts 4 роки тому +12

      Franzen was the one who introduced DFW to DeLillo via letters. The three of them had dinner once, too.

    • @makecowsnotwar
      @makecowsnotwar 3 роки тому

      @@liammcooper me too

    • @ZimMan26
      @ZimMan26 Рік тому

      ew

  • @originoflogos
    @originoflogos 9 років тому +101

    I don't think people in this comment section understand the definition of the word "pretentious".
    adjective
    attempting to impress by affecting greater importance, talent, culture, etc., than is actually possessed.
    With that being said, Franzen and DeLillo both possess a great talent of on point observations of modern life.
    they are not pretentious, they "think"
    If you're going to call someone pretentious because they like to "think" rather than just give readers the same trivial, telegraphed, uninspired bullshit that Michael Bay fans love to be fed on a daily basis, than, here's an idea, go pay attention to that shit.

  • @tomasandrew9354
    @tomasandrew9354 6 років тому +17

    I didn’t find this conversation pretentious at all. It was actually quite humorous at times. I enjoyed this.

  • @marceloonunes
    @marceloonunes 3 роки тому +6

    The Angel Esmeralda is one of the best short stories I have ever read.

  • @clareomarfran
    @clareomarfran 2 роки тому +5

    DeLillo drops little asides in his prose that pierce to the heart. From 'Players' about terrorists killing a target on the golf course, this: 'Golf, that anal round of scrupulous caution and petty griefs.'

  • @longcastle4863
    @longcastle4863 9 років тому +25

    A discussion between writers for writers. Wonderful.

    • @longcastle4863
      @longcastle4863 9 років тому +30

      Regarding those criticizing this exchange as "pretentious", "garbage", etc, it never ceases to amaze me how Americans are so intent on holding to the standard of dumbing everything down. So that in America what is cool and hip and "in" is the glib, the superficial, the idiotic. God forbid two intelligent writers should have an intelligent conversation at the level necessary to express their ideas. Only in America would the masses be threatened by this. Only in America is intelligence sneered at. Is there any wonder we've become a nation of the profoundly dense and dumb?

    • @Dykthemonkey
      @Dykthemonkey 6 років тому

      matthewyesitis The Counselor was in no way a good movie. Novelists, even great ones, rarely transition into great screenwriters. And even if they do, it's almost always thanks to the director who often makes creative liberties with a given screenplay to fit the visual format. Ridley Scott was a wrong choice for director; his need to create visual spectacle obscured any philosophical depth the story actually had.

    • @spikedaniels1528
      @spikedaniels1528 5 років тому

      Dykthemonkey x

    • @HughMorristheJoker
      @HughMorristheJoker 2 роки тому

      Screen writing is a lower form of art than novel writing. People are generally stupid. Look at the views on a video like this compared to one of the innumerable idiotic videos that has a billion + views.

    • @Ggwalterrabbit
      @Ggwalterrabbit Рік тому

      @@DykthemonkeyI liked it

  • @GavGreaves
    @GavGreaves 10 місяців тому +1

    Love Don Delillo. The real deal.

  • @ЕржанНасанов
    @ЕржанНасанов 6 років тому +20

    4:13

  • @Lovesock69able
    @Lovesock69able 9 років тому +3

    "A well-choreographed exchange of insight and dimensional perspectives." (RAS IV)

  • @RBGRBGRBGRBG
    @RBGRBGRBGRBG 6 місяців тому

    DeLillo sounds so much like older Paul Newman, it’s crazy.

  • @calaveza
    @calaveza 10 років тому +2

    Really nice !

  • @Mateo-et3wl
    @Mateo-et3wl 4 роки тому +4

    Introduction from Dieter is about 4 minutes too long

    • @alexcarter8807
      @alexcarter8807 3 роки тому

      If I were ever the host to one of these I'd bang out the necessary information, including anything about me IF that's necessary, so fast my intro would be studied by students of advertising in 15-second time slots. Get. that. shit. out. of. the. way.

  • @MJAWTAMILCHRISTIANSONGS12
    @MJAWTAMILCHRISTIANSONGS12 Рік тому

    Its really great

  • @iain2080
    @iain2080 8 років тому +10

    Bronx boy wondering why he is here

    • @DarrenandClaude
      @DarrenandClaude 7 років тому +1

      i follow the guy who made ur pic on instagram he's great

    • @joshcraft197
      @joshcraft197 2 роки тому

      deep reference

  • @dirtycelinefrenchman
    @dirtycelinefrenchman 2 роки тому +3

    I love that our mystical writer still writes all his mystical prophesies on an old manual typewriter he bought in 1975.

  • @fmcneece6953
    @fmcneece6953 Рік тому +2

    Franzen is not being pretentious lol. Contrived to a degree? Sure. But who wouldn’t be? You’re talking to a stupendous author in front of a crowd. It’s the inner-author in Franzen that desires to keep the conversation light and the audience halfway entertained. What would be pretentious is if Franzen asked some super nuanced questions. If you think these are questions that Franzen would ask in private, then you’re underestimating the intelligence of these two men. These are extremely open-ended questions with the intent of engaging Delillo and the crowd together, not just Delillo himself. Franzen is certainly not challenging him.

  • @judekristo
    @judekristo 4 роки тому +19

    This isn’t pretentious... but Franzen is obviously trying to impress DeLillo and he’s trying too hard. Notice the language. ( this is one of many examples and a fairly simple one but), Franzen keeps saying things like: ‘It may come later, it may arise later...’ leading up to a question. He’s purposely editing his sentences out loud, adjusting his vocabulary from simple to unnecessarily complex, probably because he’s nervous. DeLillo never brings this up but notice That it takes quite a while to understand where Franzen is going in his questioning and then notice that DeLillo responds mostly using language that a five year old could understand...

    • @guestguest7543
      @guestguest7543 4 місяці тому

      I don’t hate his work, but Franzen is largely a hack who got lucky being fingered by Oprah’s machine, then even more by resisting it, then even more still by bowing down and finally accepting it

  • @prasantbanerjee8199
    @prasantbanerjee8199 3 роки тому +2

    Podcast with still photos.

    • @alexcarter8807
      @alexcarter8807 3 роки тому +1

      I'm in Silicon Valley and not wealthy. Much internet "video" is like that for me. I've gotten use to it. Maybe the future is getting to you, too.

    • @prasantbanerjee8199
      @prasantbanerjee8199 3 роки тому

      @@alexcarter8807 I fully concur. Thank you for the response.

  • @Mattdotnfo
    @Mattdotnfo 10 місяців тому

    Out of all these comments I only saw one that actually said anything was pretentious. And then 60 comments all saying it is not pretentious. Chill out guys.

    • @RBGRBGRBGRBG
      @RBGRBGRBGRBG 6 місяців тому

      *Loottta comments been deleted my man

  • @bardoface
    @bardoface Рік тому +1

    Franzen is a little arrogant and subtly envious.

  • @JohnJackson-xn6fv
    @JohnJackson-xn6fv 11 років тому +26

    Suddenly a violent argument broke out over who is more pretentious.

    • @Datdankboi
      @Datdankboi 11 років тому +60

      I find those who use certain adjectives liberally when criticizing others apply to the denotation themselves.

    • @RAPmastaGBLASCO63
      @RAPmastaGBLASCO63 10 років тому +4

      #WREKT

    • @ecaepevolhturt
      @ecaepevolhturt 10 років тому +4

      Taylor Caron So you mean - "If you describe someone as ADJECTIVE then you are ADJECTIVE." I'm not sure that that is always true.
      I think people that are pretentious use complex words when they could use simple words to express something. They just show off (bully others) because the derive self worth from the belief that they are intelligent/verbose. The sad truth is that they are just insecure.
      DeLillo and Franzen are boring writers. They may be clever/educated but they're deeply boring.

    • @CloverPickingHarp
      @CloverPickingHarp 10 років тому +1

      ecaepevolhturt to bully others? While you could be right you also could be off the mark. Should you be ashamed of vocabulary (especially in this age)? I was under the impression pretension was a hallmark of writers either embraced or masked. I think it has far more to do with insecurity than "bullying." That's just a bad word choice, smacks of social fascism. Apply knowledge, craft, skill or wisdom in another trade, occupation, hobby etc... Would you refer to someone as a bully because they utilize nuance and complexity in there field to show themselves studied and approved and to separate themselves from the rest of the pack?
      Could they be concise, could they use commonalities, could they not be so damn pretentious? Yes, absolutely, but that speaks to their insecurity as writers and so would bullying, allowing that is the case, be an out-working of that insecurity (fear). However if I've ever felt lesser than in an intellectual engagement it's forced me to face that and put in some work. I don't feel bullied, just like I don't feel bullied by a better basketball player.

    • @ecaepevolhturt
      @ecaepevolhturt 10 років тому +3

      CloverPickingHarp Convoluted writers attract convoluted readers.

  • @bogohotdogz
    @bogohotdogz Рік тому

    Hiding behind words

  • @Ron_Boy
    @Ron_Boy Рік тому +3

    There's nothing more annoying than a UA-cam video with NO VIDEO.

    • @Brandon-tk2rw
      @Brandon-tk2rw 4 місяці тому +1

      sounds like someone needs a good old fashioned entertainment cartridge

  • @BookClubDisaster
    @BookClubDisaster Рік тому +1

    People saying pretentious--that's all Franzen. I don't hear pretentious with Delillo. Franzen has that very affected intellectual lilt to his voice. Very annoying.

  • @findbridge1790
    @findbridge1790 5 місяців тому

    2 CIA tools

    • @29rbs
      @29rbs Місяць тому

      What is their agenda??? LMAO

    • @findbridge1790
      @findbridge1790 Місяць тому

      @@29rbs cultural/psych warfare via elaborate but 2 dimensional novels.

    • @29rbs
      @29rbs Місяць тому

      @@findbridge1790 Yeah I already got that you think their books aren't good. But you haven't answered what their agenda could possibly be or why the CIA would be involved. What "cultural warfare" do you see in these books?? Also, why do you think the CIA would choose difficult literary fiction as the way to brainwash the masses when almost nobody reads?

  • @TrpleAgnt2011
    @TrpleAgnt2011 5 років тому +1

    Looks like DeLillo doesn't want to be shown speaking on camera, curious. Here's a penetrating comment on DeLillo I found, :
    "Falling man", [the pixels 911 twin towers] heralded like one of his "finest novels", is a tragic product of bamboozle and malice... unfortunately when the truth will be all out, this will take the name of Delillo down with it...
    The adventurous parts of the book are all staged on the day of 9/11, and all these parts are just FANTASIES created by watching, probably over and over, the photos and the videos, and reading the witnesses reports.
    Apparently never, during the whole process that apparently took years, this great genius of the American Novel had the uneasy feeling of being in presence of Fakery. Even without figuring out that the whole thing could be and was produced in a studio, in front of a machine, how not to see that these elements he was feeding his talents with lacked the variety, the unpredictability and the accidents of reality?
    Oh, but he was going to make the unreal sound real. I think this whole book is an act of pride more than anything else, the pride of the writer who will prove he can turn anything, any lie, into truth...

    • @KM-zw9qb
      @KM-zw9qb 4 роки тому

      shut up and take your meds

    • @Paul-qv6pr
      @Paul-qv6pr 4 роки тому +1

      Do you, like, enjoy reading? If anything your pride is getting in the way of appreciating a work of *fiction*. In other words, and kindly (because it can only be wrong to waste precious time on such trivial nonsense), get over yourself; read a book you enjoy and find meaningful instead.

    • @pandamana4744
      @pandamana4744 4 роки тому +5

      Well written. Delillo would be proud of this character you’ve created.

    • @stevendurham9996
      @stevendurham9996 4 роки тому +1

      That was a good book. Seems like some people just have to throw poop at quality.

  • @colinwriter
    @colinwriter 9 років тому +3

    Fan of both writers but this is one pretentious conversation. If I ever sounded like this my friends and wife would slap me back into reality.

    • @dandan-qd2ys
      @dandan-qd2ys 9 років тому +20

      +colinwriter Why is this pretentious? I just don't get it. So they are talking to each other and you don't find it suits your way of talking, your wife's way of talking enough so the only thing it can be is pretentious. Dude, calling people pretentious is probably the most pretentious thing ever.

    • @gatotsu2501
      @gatotsu2501 8 років тому +1

      dan dan
      "Do you consider yourself...[pause]...a mystical writer?"
      Like, I've never read DeLillo but come on.

    • @TheCollidescopePodcast
      @TheCollidescopePodcast 8 років тому +3

      mystical (adj.)
      late 15c., "enigmatic, obscure, symbolic," from mystic + -al (1). Related: Mystically. Meaning "having spiritual significance" is from 1520s.
      Those first three adjectives embody DeLillo's prose style/content. Don't assume the meaning of 'mystical.'

    • @spartan10010
      @spartan10010 7 років тому

      trying 2 hard

    • @georgesosa1498
      @georgesosa1498 5 років тому +3

      Eli F Delillo has a way of writing that can definitely feel mystical. A mixture of keen psychological and philosophical observation mixed w/ a humorous and suspicious takedown of modern society. It’s a wise and agile voice. I’d recommend checking out White Noise and The Names. Great Jones Street. Go from there.

  • @wheelerking8380
    @wheelerking8380 Рік тому +1

    Good lord….not sure how anyone can listen to lisping lisperer Delillo talk out-loud, it’s like being in Hell….it’s probably doing damage to the psyche so deep that it’s probably unrepairable…
    he probably became a writer because no one could stand to listen to his voice and would be hard to get a job dealing with the public face to face….it’s a horror show of all horror shows

    • @29rbs
      @29rbs Місяць тому

      Or maybe some people are able to listen to what a person says without melodramatically getting so hung up on the most superficial possible bullshit? Hmmm

  • @dirtycelinefrenchman
    @dirtycelinefrenchman 2 роки тому +3

    Franzen is such an awkward egg

    • @BookClubDisaster
      @BookClubDisaster Рік тому +2

      That's why people sit alone in a room and write.

  • @ppwalk05
    @ppwalk05 9 років тому +5

    garbage in garbage out

    • @dandan-qd2ys
      @dandan-qd2ys 9 років тому +21

      +ppwalk05 Like this comment, I suppose?

    • @christiancox972
      @christiancox972 2 роки тому +1

      well, you know what they say. one man's trash is another man's transparent rainboot footfetish. heinrich clearly adored the airborne toxic event. franzen is an interloper, to be sure. every medium of every sort has at least one. they spawn like ambystoma and array themselves onto your psychic zendstation smilde like the blackened puke-green screen of a gameboy. game over, man. eventually the effigy will replace the article. a franzen, this one or another one maybe, will write the epitaph