In praise of Michele Mari
Giorgio Agamben, Quodlibet, July 21, 2026
Already since Heraclitus and Democritus, tradition has it that philosophers distrust their contemporaries, especially their fellow citizens. Perhaps this is why, perhaps wrongly and perhaps not without good reasons, I too abstain from reading books written by my fellow citizens today. It is all the more joyful and surprising when a book refutes my prejudice, as happened just ìn these days with Le maestose rovine di Sferopoli (The majestic ruins of Sferopoli) by Michele Mari. Mari’s mind is gifted with a prodigious imagination, which unites, as in Manganelli, with an intelligece and culture that are certainly beyond the ordinary. As long as this author will write, Italian literature will stay alive among the ruins and the philosopher will have to admit that his intransigence was, for once, out of place.
Giorgio Agamben, Quodlibet, July 21, 2026
Already since Heraclitus and Democritus, tradition has it that philosophers distrust their contemporaries, especially their fellow citizens. Perhaps this is why, perhaps wrongly and perhaps not without good reasons, I too abstain from reading books written by my fellow citizens today. It is all the more joyful and surprising when a book refutes my prejudice, as happened just ìn these days with Le maestose rovine di Sferopoli (The majestic ruins of Sferopoli) by Michele Mari. Mari’s mind is gifted with a prodigious imagination, which unites, as in Manganelli, with an intelligece and culture that are certainly beyond the ordinary. As long as this author will write, Italian literature will stay alive among the ruins and the philosopher will have to admit that his intransigence was, for once, out of place.
(English translation by I, Robot)
M. C. Escher, Sphere Spirals, 1958. Courtesy of WikiArt.
No comments:
Post a Comment