Will Self - 'Challenging Intellect; In defence of obscure words' - In 'A Point of View'@BBC Radio 4

Originaly broadcast @BBC - Radio 4's in 'A Point of View' - read original transcript, here: www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-17...
William Woodard "Will" Self (born 26 September 1961) is an English author, Journalist & In 2012, Will Self was appointed Professor of Contemporary Thought at Brunel University.
To know more about the author, see;
will-self.com/
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will_Self

[@isaacntuli4588]

It is such a shame that such a profound author would have such a weeny margin viewers, he deserves to be read by millions.

[@tedbo1819]

That line on Damien Hirst is priceless! Also, the shadow in the philtrum of the bust makes him look like a lanky hitler.

[@justmadeit2]

He uses big words innit ;)

[@tigerwa]

I enjoyed his comments on Damien hurst.

[@danielking9830]

Good writing can be rich in insight without being difficult to read. Some children will enjoy studying Great Expectations in minute details. Others, will not. Dickens, with his meandering, never-ending sentences, would not inspire me if i was 15. There are better authors with which to hook young minds on literature - a lot more challenging than children's fiction, but not so dense as Dickens. It is a matter of taste - and unless you enjoy what you are thinking about, you're unlikely to derive much from it. I have no problem with the web as a source of knowledge, either. Those "facile key strokes" don't make me read what i want on the web with less attention or enthusiasm to the content. Cross-referencing in a flash multiple sources is great, compared to traditional methods, which often required a lot of organization (and money, and time) to visit a specific library, or city, in order to access knowledge. Some writers appear to use a thesaurus to enhance the vocabulary that is on display. Personally, I prefer it if the writing is lyrical, clear, insightful, regardless on how many rare terms were employed. Complex and important ideas may be expressed simply. That's the best, for me.

[@Bobbydog66]

I both like and hate big words at the same time, I like that they can capture something a bunch of words couldn't, but I don't like that everything has to have a label. I guess I'm just a cyclical hypocrite then.

[@KodakKid]

Will Self's intuition arouses me.

[@MatT3431433]

"wordy bloke" is such a tart. He, and his literary agent, know full well that his transgressing the common lexicon is half his appeal; its his usp, metier & schtick. Personally I also like the lugubrious voice and often orthogonal opinion, or 'different and maybe interesting slant' as i'd actually say in real life if not actually trying to annoy interlocoteurs. edit ... interlocUteurs ... according to the interwebs / dictionary

[@ethanthompson3198]

can you please tell me what you mean by "orthogonal opinion"? that sounds like a classy put down I might have to use one day.

[@MatT3431433]

+Ethan Thompson by "orthogonal opinion" I just meant 'at odds / at an angle'; like contrarian, left-field, or just independent. Not necessarily a put down eg like saying with arched eyebrow "what interesting opinions you have", or "don't talk bollocks". It is used in maths etc and comes from Greek 'ορθός ‎orthos'='correct right straight' and 'γωνία gonia'='angle'

[@ethanthompson3198]

Okie doker

[@bertovito5571]

The sesquepedalianisms of an antidisestablishmentarian quinqegenarian...

[@DrParanoidAndroid]

Fake