what can we learn from bs johnson?
DESCRIPTION
Slides from my PTLLS micro teach on BS Johnson.TRANSCRIPT
What can we learn from BS Johnson?
Dave Briggs
Aims
• To gain knowledge about BS Johnson, his life and his work.
• To practice skills of assessing different ways of telling stories and innovating in the way work is done.
• To reflect on the attitudes we have towards our work, whether we have fixed ideas about how it is done and the ways we could innovate ourselves.
Objectives
• Understand the concept of a story, and a novel
• Gain an understanding of the life and work of BS Johnson
• To take away ideas on how Johnson’s approach to his writing can help us in our work
What is a novel?
• BS Johnson was a novelist.• However, he said that “telling stories was
telling lies”.• He believed that films and TV did made-up
stories much better than novels.• Therefore, all novels should be based directly
on the author’s real experience.
Discussion exercise
• Think about the books you like to read.• Which would you call novels? • Why would you describe them as novels?• Can you think of a story in a book, that isn’t a
novel?
About BS Johnson
• Born in 1933 in London• Started work at 16 as a
clerk• Learned Latin at night
school and went to university
• Became a teacher, and then a full time writer
BS Johnson’s work
• His novels were increasingly experimental in terms of form and typography
• He also wrote plays, films and television programmes
Form
• Form is the way the story is written. For example:– Traditional ‘realist’ novel– Film scripts– Diaries– Letters– Stream of consciousness– Different perspectives
Typography
• Typography is the way the story is printed. For instance:– Use of fonts– Size of writing– Use of white space– Use of colour– The shape of the paper– The way the book is bound
Johnson’s novels
• Travelling People (1963)• Albert Angelo (1964)• Trawl (1966)• The Unfortunates (1969)• House Mother
Normal (1971)• Christie Malry's Own
Double-Entry (1973)• See the Old Lady
Decently (1975)
Discussion exercise
• Look at the worksheet with different stories listed.
• What form could they be written in?– Remember, form is the style of writing, such as
letters, diaries or film scripts etc• What typographical innovations might be
used?– Remember, typography is things like fonts, paper,
binding and so on
About BS Johnson
• At the age of 40, in 1973, he committed suicide.
• He didn’t feel he was achieving the critical or commercial success he should have been.
Summary
• Ultimately, Johnson failed on his own terms.
• But we are still talking about him!
• Also, he tried to do something new, didn’t settle for the accepted methods.
Final exercise
• Check your knowledge with the quiz
• Think about the final question – what can we learn from BS Johnson in our own lives and practice?