Chit-chat: John Berger's Language Notes

 

　　"Speech is a body, a living thing, its outward form comes from words, its internal functions involve linguistics. And the home of this creature is not only what can be spoken, but also what cannot be spoken."

 

　　"The act of writing has always been vitally important to me; it has helped me to understand things and to continue living. However, writing is actually a branch, derived from something deeper and more universal – our relationship with language itself. And the subject of these notes is precisely language."

 

　　John Berger was a writer who loved and fully devoted himself to writing. He was a diligent wordsmith, writing daily whenever possible. His extensive and diverse body of work, imbued with strong critical perspectives, offered unique insights into art, society, and politics, making him one of the most influential art critics of his time. His work profoundly changed how we understand visual language.

 

　　This small book, "Confabulations," published a year before Berger's passing in 2016, holds significant meaning. In it, he writes about language itself, how it relates to contemporary thought, art, songs, storytelling, and political discourse. The content also touches upon labor, memory, suffering, hope, communal living, and even listening to birdsong. The book includes Berger's own sketches, notes, recollections, and reflections, covering topics from Camus, Rosa Luxemburg, and Chaplin to global capitalism, encompassing a vast range.

 

　　"Confabulations" guides us to focus on "things that are fundamental, true, and urgent."

 

 

　　◎ This book was published a year before John Berger's death (2016), making it particularly significant.

 

　　◎ Berger writes about language itself, how it relates to contemporary thought, art, songs, storytelling, and political discourse. The content also touches upon labor, memory, suffering, hope, communal living, and even listening to birdsong.

 

　　◎ The book includes dozens of illustrations, including drawings by the author.

 

　　Special introduction by Lin Chih-Ming (Distinguished Professor, National Taipei University of Education; Director, English-Taught Master's Program in Contemporary Art Criticism and Curatorial Studies).

 

　　"One of the most influential intellectuals of our time." — The Observer

 

　　"He wields ideas as an artist wields paint." — Writer Jeanette Winterson