Cataloguing as an Artistic Practice” — Session Two of the Course “Theory and Practice of Experimental Writing. Block II

Cataloguing as an Artistic Practice” — Session Two of the Course

“Theory and Practice of Experimental Writing. Block II

The content of a text and its form can relate to each other in different ways, but often it is the content that determines the form. We will try the exact opposite strategy: exploring how the form of a text can shape its content.

Using Jorge Luis Borges’s short piece “The Analytical Language of John Wilkins” and Lydia Zinovieva-Annibal’s “The Tragic Menagerie” as examples, we will examine the catalogue form and discuss how this type of narration differs from classical narrative.

As a practical writing exercise, participants will create their own catalogues (a catalogue may take the form of a photo album, a collection of figurines, or even writing tools). Within all or selected items of the list, we will try to tell a short story or create a sketch or exposition.