The Modern Word

What is TheModernWord.com? The Modern Word is a large network of literary sites dedicated to exploring twentieth century writers who have pushed the envelope of traditional narrative and structure. This includes many writers associated with Modernism, surrealism, "magical realism," and postmodernism. Our mandate includes both writers who have experimented with prose styles and narrative conventions, such as Joyce, Burroughs, or Pynchon, and those who use literary techniques to frame alternate ways of perceiving reality, such as Borges and Philip K. Dick. Errrr....right. So you have no real guiding credo? Isn't this all a bit fuzzy? If this sounds a bit unfocused, that's something we can live with. Labels, genres, schools, movements -- these are things we try to de-emphasize here at The Modern Word. We believe that good literature overflows all boundaries. Of course, there are some elements that many of "our" writers share -- the use of allusion and intertextuality; a tendency for "open texts" and self-reflexive narrative; a fondness for word-games, paradox, and linguistic free-play; an embrace of whimsy or deadpan fabulism; and a desire to use language to create a sense of subjective reality.

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  thanks to wood s lot

This is a wonderful resource. I've been reading Umberto Eco's "Baudolino" and the site has an extensive section on Eco...

Umberto Eco — Porta Ludovica

The Paradox of Porta Ludivoca... the native lives in a "magic space" where the directions front, back, left, and right are not valid and consequently all orientation is impossible

While I've also read "The Name of The Rose" and "The Island of the Day Before", I've not read his non-fiction. His day job is in semiotics and he has two books, which I would really really really like to read — if only some kind souls would buy them for me. Here are Amazon links and they are in my Amazon Wish List.