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Research centre Processing Literature

Targets

Research within this field concentrates on the process of conveying literature, from production to distribution, reception and response.

In Short

Literature is a complex field of communication and interaction. Books are edited and reviewed, they form the basis of literary discourse. The field of literature is comparatively homogeneous and professionalized. On the other hand, it is an integral part of culture and, in a broader perspective, of society. Literature is conveyed through media – books are printed or published electronically, articles in newspapers and magazines are written to discuss the content and quality of books. Films or radio broadcasts are based on literary texts. There are many different relationships film, radio, television, photographs, music and other media can have with literature. Examining these relationships is a challenge to philology.

1. Starting points

Focusing on processing literature involves a change of paradigm. Literature is not only regarded to be a text, it is also a product of an author or a publishing house, of a reader and the context in which it evolves. Literature is part of a complex process extending from production to reception and response.

Processing literature is conveying literature through publication and the media. But it can also mean, in a broader sense, the whole field of literature, if one wants to emphasize the interaction involved. Literature is an integral part of culture and, in a broader perspective, of society. Literature is conveyed through media – books are printed or published electronically, articles in newspapers and magazines are written to discuss the content and quality of books. Films or radio broadcasts are based on literary texts. There are many different relationships film, radio, television, photographs, music and other media can have with literature.

The success of a book depends on the circumstances of the author as well as the strategy of the publishing house, including paratexts (i.e. the book cover) and advertising. Book reviews can have a great deal of influence on a book's as well as on the author's career. A dramatic text can become successful when it is put on stage. The most recent forms include publication on the internet. Some authors have used weblogs ('blogs') and other forms of presentation to become independent of 'censors' in publishing houses or supportive (public) institutions.

Processing literature is part of the process of communication and interaction in a society. Different theoretical approaches explain the functioning of society as a 'field' (Pierre Bourdieu), a 'discourse' (Michel Foucault) or a 'system' (Niklas Luhmann). Results of the process are changes in meaning, values or structures. The writing and conveying of literature undergoes a usually slow und diverse, but constant change.

One example is the literary canon. Today, different texts are regarded to be important for school or university reading. Heinrich Böll, for example, has lost his importance for explaining west German society – due to changes in values (less moral reading) as well as historical events in Germany (reunification).

A theoretical approach to processing literature has to take into account:

a) Text and media theory. The basis forms a semiotical understanding of the world.

b) Reception theory. The meaning of a text is constructed by the reader, with the help of the media. Different media have different specifications, they operate through different channels and vary in their availability.

c) Sociology of literature. Literature depends on the context in which it is produced and consumed. Changes in time and society are important for production as well as reception.

The language of literature and texts on literature cannot be understood without undergoing thisprocess until it 'makes sense'.

2. Possible Tasks

Projects on processing literature include:

• Editing literature: The principles (and the changes of these principles) of editing texts. Not only publishers, also authors and University teachers provide readers with their text material. Older texts are usually re-published under the supervision of academic staff, with a preface and ample explanations. But which text is edited for what reason? Which word or context is explained for what reason?
• The language of literature: Texts consist of language and language only makes sense when it is processed, when it becomes part of communication. The basic rules for writing a text can change and influence its meaning (e.g. the meaning of certain expressions can change, expressions can become obsolete or become frequently used). What influence can changes in language have on processing literature?
• The theory of literature: There are different approaches to explaining how literature works. Depending on the approach, the meaning of a text can vary. The different theories as well as the different meanings are part of a process that can be described and analyzed.
• Literary criticism: Critics select texts and judge them. To what extent do their selection and judgement influence the field of literature? Which texts are selected for what reasons? What does this mean about the society in which a selection and judgement is made?
• Literature and media: Literature is processed through the media and it has become part of the media. It undergoes changes from a literary text to a film or a radio broadcast – but why are these changes made and what principles do they follow?
• Translations: Literature is also processed through translations, in many cases this is the only option if a text is to become known in a different language and, therefore, a different society. Not only words have to be translated, also differences in cultural knowledge have to be taken into account. What are the basic principles of translating literature, what are the difficulties a translation has to face?
• Older texts: Literature from the classical era or the Middle Ages or other early periods also has to be translated, it cannot be easily understood. What changes have been made in the literary field and in society? How can the time and the cultural gap be filled? Or does the apparent foreignnessof the texts today have to be preserved? Is it possible to use the new media – like the internet – to give access to these texts and to help provide a better understanding of them?

3. Projects

Many projects are derived from the above questions , they attempt to shed more light on aspects of processing literature. To name a few:

• The internet project „Hartmann-von-Aue-Portal“ (http://www.fgcu.edu/rboggs/hartmann/HomeStart.asp) has been established to offer access to publications by and about Hartmann von Aue.
• The film archives at the Institute for American Studies and the Institute for Slavic Languages, approx. 22,000 films.
• The film and radio archive of the Innsbruck Newspaper Archive with approx. 9,000 recorded broadcasts.
• The music archive of the Institute for Romance Languages.
• The numerous collected works edited by the Brenner Resarch Institute, including online editions such as 'Tirolean literature'.
• Text editions by the Institute of German and the Institute of Languages and Literature (Greek and Latin), including online editions and the 'history of latin literature'.
• The 'handbook of Austrian magazines on literature 1970-2000', edited under the supervision of the Innsbruck Newspaper Archive.

Projects in 2006 include conferences and workshops on 'scandalizing literature', on 'translating literature' or 'editing literature' as well as different applications for funding (e.g. on 'Paradigms of literary criticism').