What is an Author? Author-Function (Foucault)

[@MasonInTheDark]

My brain always feels like it's been put through a blender after these. I am now convinced you are a master villain trying to murder through confusion.

[@jeremyfee]

Phenomenal video, as always. / Video Title: "What is an Author? [What Am I?]" / Video Description: "In this video, Pae Veo searches for his identity..." / Content: "...Pae should not be abandoned, but reconsidered..." :)

[@attention5638]

HAHAH this comment holds more truth than I was ready for. 😅

[@michaelk.vaughan8617]

These videos have been fantastic. Can’t wait until next week!

[@attention5638]

Thank you so much! I hope, when I start applying it all, it makes sense haah

[@outofthisworldreader1700]

The highlight of my week! Always looking forward to expanding my knowledge on learning and understanding literature!!

[@attention5638]

Thank you so much, my friend! I have no idea how many more of these videos I could do. I could probably go on for another ten or so, but I probably should start talking about actual books soon. hahaha

[@SteveTalksBooks]

Another fantastic video, always learn something new from your videos

[@attention5638]

Thanks Steve! I am glad you get something from these, and taking the time out of your already insanely busy schedule to check this out! Haha😊😊

[@OrdnanceLab]

Just discovered your channel. Great video and looking forward to seeing the rest of them.

[@LitNoireHorror]

This series has definitely become something I look forward to each week, I was like 'Ooh, it's Saturday!' like I hadn't already looked at a calendar or something XD

[@attention5638]

Haha Thank you so much! I am really glad to hear that!😊 I wasn't sure how these would go over in the BookTube community, but they seem to be doing well.😊

[@bookvoyagerika8301]

I totally agree with Foucault when he reconsiders the author (author-function) which is a good response to the death of the author by Barthes. Loved all these arguments from the two! So much insight and very interesting topic, indeed!

[@attention5638]

Right! I think his assessment is spot on. Although, I still question if it is something that fills the spot left from the notion of the author. Because, technically, what Foucault is talking about would have still been there with the proper name of author. So even though I do agree with him, I am not sure if it "belongs" where he is "placing" it. If that makes sense. Hahah

[@evans_KE]

You know how to explain this theory.

[@attention5638]

Thank you very much! 😊😊

[@HeyYallListenUp]

Fascinating stuff. I'm looking forward to the examples. Working through examples is how I learn best.

[@attention5638]

Yeah, me too. I hope I can do it properly. Still trying to figure out how to go about it haha. 😅

[@seanfarley8489]

Thank you for simplifying this yet not watering it down as to be mundane. Much appreciated. It’s helped me so much with my current studies and understanding the intricacies of this particular text.

[@attention5638]

I am very happy to hear! This platform can have a lot of that watered down analysis when it comes to such subjects (and I am sure I have been guilty of it in some of my earlier videos). I have always thought this essay by Foucault should be as well read as Barthes' "The Death of the Author." I don't seem to hear is spoken about as much. Thank you again for the complement, and checking this out!

[@PageTurnersWithKatja]

Look forward to the expansion into texts - your series just gets better and better.

[@attention5638]

Thank you so much! I hope they go over well, I am not too sure how I am going to go about it yet haha

[@beatingaroundthebooks]

Really great video! Look forward to seeing you apply this to texts.

[@attention5638]

I hope I can figure it out. I am having trouble figuring out how to go about it hahha

[@beatingaroundthebooks]

@@attention5638 Sounds like my problems writing papers 😂

[@JeffAdamsMusic]

You always go into such depth with your subjects. It's like food for my brain! Very well done, if cerebral. ☮🙂

[@attention5638]

Thank you Jeff! I could talk about this stuff forever. I find it quite fascinating.😊🎶

[@JeffAdamsMusic]

@@attention5638 Though this seems to be a tangent, and you are quite brilliant in every tangent I've ever seen, perhaps this one has fulfilled its purpose? You will know better than I would. ☮

[@MsReadsAlot]

Finally catching up on videos! So excited to see these applied to some texts!! looking forward to next week! I am sure they will help me connect the dots!! Fantastic as always!

[@attention5638]

I hope so! A lot of people learn through examples, so I hope I can actually do it properly haha😊😊

[@TheCodeXCantina]

Another great entry, Pae. Require vs assigned an author is a great quote!

[@attention5638]

Thank you so much! I was a bit worried on this one haha. Foucault crams so much into a short lecture haha

[@FIT2BREAD]

Excellent video P

[@attention5638]

Thank you so much, my friend. I hope that you are well!😊

[@Johanna_reads]

Foucault's concept of author-function is fascinating to me! I've never before thought of the author being a cultural construct. I also love how you brought up the history of authorship prior to the Middle Ages. Fantastic video!

[@attention5638]

Thank you so much, Johanna! 😊 I think Foucault's assessment is dead on with the notion of the Author-function. It seems almost obvious the way he states it, and yet, it was never really pointed out in such a way. 😊

[@CestKevvie]

I read Foucault in college and I'm still bitter that my professor never told me he was a gay. That would have made me much more interested in reading him. Loved hearing your thoughts on this!m

[@attention5638]

Exactly! That is what I mean about question 8 in the tag you made. How we identify, in any way, pulls us to what we expose ourselves to, and in turn, shapes our perspective of the world. 😊😊

[@FriederikeKunzmann]

I love your topics! Hoping for more deep dives if you have the time^^

[@attention5638]

Thank you so much! I will for sure have many more to come! 😊😊

[@RobynWeightman]

I feel like I need to read this Death of the Author... I love how in depth your videos are :)

[@attention5638]

Oh! Thank you so much! The Death of the Author is super short--about 4 pages, but the essay is pretty packed. Although, manages to be very digestible. It is a good one. 😊

[@OverlyAverageBen]

Attention: 'What is an author?' Me: oooh ooh oh ohhooh oh I know this one! Attention: proceeds to provide an interesting and thought provoking breakdown including references and fantastic analytical skills... Me: ...

[@ChristyLuisDostoevskyinSpace]

Pae's subconcious 666th personality reading the comments: "Excellent, excellent...My evil plan is working." *tents fingers*

[@attention5638]

Hahaha. Next week "what is a book?" You will be very surprised. 😅

[@paperbackmo]

I always learn so much from your videos!

[@attention5638]

Thank you so much for checking them out! 😊

[@evans_KE]

Interesting theory I still continuing to watch the extension of the ideas of Bartes

[@attention5638]

There are so many great literary theories that build off each other, it never ends haha 😅

[@harrietsbookcorner]

I feel like these videos teach me so more more than any class I could ever take 😅 great video, as ever!

[@attention5638]

Thank you so much! I do hope that they can be somewhat useful. 😊

[@katrinabrown]

Awesome video! I'm excited to see these applied to texts!

[@attention5638]

I may stop making any sense when I try to do so. 😂

[@LadyJaneBooks]

I never thought about this before! This series is so informative! I feel like I should be paying tuition to just listen and gain this knowledge! See you next week, Professor Pae! 😎

[@attention5638]

Hahaha! Oh, you know I wouldn't make you pay! Haha😊 Thank you so much, I am glad you find something in these! 😊

[@LadyJaneBooks]

woo hoo! Full scholarship to Veo University! Best day ever! 😂

[@gaiaathena-books]

Such a deep video! I feel like some of this went over my head haha.

[@attention5638]

Foucault can be a bit complicated some times. He is not easy to grasp 😊

[@ABFrank.]

Hey man, I've seen you commenting on loads of videos for a while now but I just found out you actually make videos! Dane Reads just shouted out your channel 👍 really interesting video 😀

[@attention5638]

Thank you so much! It is funny, inhave seen your channel around too, but for whatever reason, never checked it out, until just now! Look forward to seeing more!😊😎

[@donnaplatt3925]

Great perspectives on this topic! Thx!

[@attention5638]

This is one of my favorite lectures of Foucault's. 😊😊

[@denizkaya4996]

59 Like very nice video my frend 👍❤️👍

[@attention5638]

Thank you so much!😊😊

[@LarryHasOpinions]

im always in awe :-D

[@attention5638]

Awe is a good state to be in! Haha. Thank you so much, Larry!😊😊

[@spreadbookjoy]

Interesting as always. Had to watch this twice (as usual!)😂 Looking forward to your application of these theories in your next videos!

[@attention5638]

Thank you so much! I am hoping that I am able to in a way that makes more sense haha😅

[@JamieAdStories]

Interesting! Authors are undervalued. They don’t get the credit they deserve.

[@attention5638]

For many, that is very true. Very few ever get the recognition that is deserved. 😞

[@bethannebruninga-socolar]

This video was an instant replay for me. :) I'm trying to contextualize some of this in terms of scientific authorship, and the contrast between e.g. an author of literature vs. an author of a scientific work. In science, we seem to have very fluid definition of the author and authorship. We tend to throw around the word "author" as if we all understand exactly what it means, but it varies so much depending on context!

[@attention5638]

Yes! Foucault would agree with it being fluid. A scientific paper that furthers an understanding of a theory in their field, or begins a whole new concept, they are not only the author or the paper itself, but also, the author of the idea. The term author-function makes much more sense. Especially in the sciences. 😊

[@BobTheBookerer]

Another brilliant video! This was so interesting to me, especially as I only really know Foucault for his writing on sexuality and the Panopticon.

[@attention5638]

Yeah, that is primarily what he is known for, and for good reasons. Discipline and Punish is a really great read.😊😎

[@BobTheBookerer]

@@attention5638 Thank you! I’ll have to check it out!

[@BookishTexan]

Still with you (I think) looking forward to more.

[@attention5638]

Thank you so much, Brian! I hope I can apply it all accurately haha😊

[@scallydandlingaboutthebooks]

Another Pae treat. Thanks. I am going to need some examples to make sense of this. I have always found Foucault a bit suspect.

[@attention5638]

Hahaha, you are not alone in thinking he is a bit suspect. Personally, I do agree with him here, even though I have a few slight problems with it.

[@ameliareads589]

@@attention5638 I think Foucault is a good exercise on the subject of separating the author from his work or not.

[@SpringboardThought]

Fascinating stuff. Love hearing about this. This is way more productive than how most people use death of the author. Tangentially: I get asked if I believe in that all the time, and when I ask what kind of book are we talking about, they tend to get annoyed lol

[@ThinkScience7]

Great video So well explained

[@attention5638]

Thank you so much! 😊😊

[@ThinkScience7]

@@attention5638 You’re most welcome

[@SluggishReader]

I'm interested in how that relates to generally so-called "author-less" literature like folklore / old wives' tales. The way we discuss about modern books are so intertwined with who the author is. With folklore, fairy tales, or even urban legends, it's fascinating that while they can stand by themselves "creator-less", there is richness in identifying the section of society that is responsible for "authoring" these narratives.

[@attention5638]

Absolutely! And that is why Foucault insists on an "author-function," because despite there being no given name attached, they still serve the same function of discourse. 😊😊

[@krisreviews]

So interesting! I never really thought about the different functions that authors have had over the years🤗

[@attention5638]

It is an interesting subject for sure! 😊😊

[@jamesfetcho6315]

That's the part I'm interested in , seeing you apply this 2 text. It's a very interesting topic. Like most of what You go over I rarely think about while reading until You bring it up. You are ruining my reading 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣. From one of Your earlier Videos ...everytime I read I'm analyzing why an Author made a character a certain way. Now I'm analyzing everything I freaking read. Thanks Friend. 😁 Interesting Video. Looking forward 2 More👍😁👍

[@attention5638]

Hahah😅 that is good though! You get so much more out of a novel when applying different lenses. Maybe it will inspire more music!😊😊

[@jamesfetcho6315]

@@attention5638 😁👍

[@literarylion3858]

I get exposed to so many works I never even thought about through these videos. It's fascinating that author started out as being a very specific thing and now it's a very broad term.

[@attention5638]

Totally! It is still being debated on what exactly an author even is. Haha😅

[@authoremileeharris1645]

Having difficulty wrapping my mind around this concept, but I think I sorta kinda get the basic idea. My question then is, is there any significant difference between a work written by an author who actively attempts to open discourse on a topic and one who does it as a byproduct of the personal project? Or does it all again go back to the reader's interpretation as the focal point?

[@attention5638]

That is a really great question! I would think that Foucault would answer, discourse comes from the natural process and a text is never infused with it, but only ever open to multiple, or infinite possibilities of discourse. In the sciences, a text is always evolving and creates discourse that relys on previous texts, whereas a fiction novel, though may be open for interpretation, will always be a fiction novel unto itself, (although, it would be interesting to hear what he would think of fan fiction today, because that would, in ways, change all that).

[@authoremileeharris1645]

@@attention5638 I agree with scientific text, I keep forgetting to think of that as separate. I guess a good fan fic example would be Star Trek, the evolution of which has direct connections to concepts introduced in fan fic books.

[@TootightLautrec]

I'm dead! I think. I think, therefore I'm dead? I can't pretend I ever loved literary criticism, but you make it more interesting than grad school did.

[@attention5638]

Haha, a Descartes joke is always welcomed haha I didn't like literary criticism while in uni either, it wasn't until a few years later that I found an interest in it. That seems to be how it goes. 😅

[@DarkBetweenPages]

Huh! Fascinating! Phenomenal topic… the author/writing world has absolutely changed. Question is. Do you Pae consider yourself an author?

[@attention5638]

I do not! Haha I mean, I not against the term. I just prefer ther term "writer." If I can make a career of it, then maybe I will use "author." I am not sure why that makes sense to me haha

[@DarkBetweenPages]

@@attention5638 That makes great sense!

[@BookwormAdventureGirl]

This is very interesting, especially after reading On Writers and Writing by Margaret Atwood. She talks about some of this (death of an author) as well. 😊💙

[@attention5638]

Oh! I may have to pick that book up! I was already thinking I should after your last video, haha 😊💙

[@ReadingRetail]

i love watching Smart people in their vids!! maybe you can send some of your brains my way lol 🥰hope you have a wonderful weekend!! happy Saturday to you Love🤗 #RRFam Big like!! 💕

[@attention5638]

Haha Thank you so much! I am so glad you like these videos!😊😊

[@bighardbooks770]

I enjoy thinking about Faulkner sitting outside on the patio of Rowen Oak sipping whiskey and "listening to ghosts ..."

[@TheCodeXCantina]

I just had a mint julip the other day on his honor

[@attention5638]

I am very much looking forward to reading more of him in August. I have only read three of his works at this point.

[@bighardbooks770]

@@TheCodeXCantina Kentucky Derby Day?

[@bighardbooks770]

@@attention5638 Me, too, Pae. We've got a great group already this year! 🤠🤗🥵

[@SelfWriteousness]

Would Jules Verne cross lines into genuine authorhood for all the scientific conversations he inspired? Like, I get the impression Foucault didn't intend to give credence to the literary no man's land that is "genre fiction," but for all the astronauts who grew up reading From the Earth to the Moon or Around the World in 80 days, would the works of someone like Verne be sufficiently influtial enough to count?

[@attention5638]

Great question, and he actually does talk about this in the lecture. He uses Radcliffe as an example of an author you fades away into the discourse the work produces. Kind of going beyond its purpose. If that is evolving into a genre or something like Verne, crossing the border of what is typically more confined. 😊😊

[@AJ_Dunn]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I love your trucker hat. Is that a beaver on it? 🤣

[@attention5638]

Hahah yes! My beaver hat! Locally made!😎😊

[@MsGrant-fn4gx]

If we do not need an author for things like fairytales, why do we attribute authorship to the brothers Grimm or Aesop for ex. when the tales were just compilations and retellings of folk tales?

[@attention5638]

It is not so much about needing an author or not, it is if a text is assigned an author or a text requires an author, and if so, what is the function of author as a proper name? If the proper name is removed, what is left in its place is the function that a text assumes. Which Foucault calls the Author-function. It is irrelevant if one wants to attach their personal name to the title "author." The text will serve the same function.

[@thelifeandtimesofjames4273]

I wonder if this argument holds water. If a out and out classic was assigned a generic name as author and given to an ignorant person would the words not read the same? I wonder. Or perhaps I have missed the point of the arguments entirely.

[@attention5638]

No, you haven't missed anything! Your question is exactly how this whole debate began. You are absolutely right. Also, I noticed I was being bashed over on you channel, I think I set him in his place haha. You had a great review, people are just defensive because it makes them feel big.

[@MargaretPinard]

Oh... interesting how I perceive 'auteur' differently than 'author' because of its associations with history and science/philosophy trappings. Hmm.

[@attention5638]

Yes! Foucault mentions in the lecture different types of authors that hold the name but are defined differently, like that of a film maker, or music producer. We should really have a different name for all of them haha