Dean Bakopoulos – The Problem of Clarity (January 2022)

In general, clarity is a goal we strive for in our writing and in our lives. But what happens when clarity feels dangerous? When do we long for a shroud of mist, the haze of not knowing, a sunny but smoky sky? This lecture looks at texts by Stuart Dybek, Jhumpa Lahiri, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, and others to explore  the ways in which clarity can fuel grief, dread, suspense, fear, and hunger.