Lecturer’s PhD offers new reading of literary journalism
Differentiating between an epistemological and an ethical reading is more helpful in verifying the truth claims of literary journalism, argues an Avondale lecturer in her PhD thesis.
Lindsay Morton.
Credit: Ashleigh King.
Criticism of those who use a narrative and the techniques of a storyteller in their representation of truth “has at times conflated ethical and epistemic concerns,” writes Lindsay Morton in Epistemic Responsibility and the Literary Journalist. She notes how many of the concerns stem from epistemic “blind spots,” which are often characterised as ethical lapses. “Framing criticism in this way inhibits progress in sound practice.”
Lindsay, a lecturer in English in the School of Humanities and Creative Arts, uses Lorraine Code’s “epistemic responsibilist” approach as an alternative to assessing the truth claims in six contemporary texts, three by Australian writers and three by US writers. She found the Australians relied more heavily on “self-presentation as seekers, rather than discoverers, of knowledge and truth.”
Understanding the intent is important, particularly if the writer is using transparency tools, such as an author’s note or footnotes, which can “hide more than they illuminate.”
“If you’re not reading critically, the truth claims can overwhelm you because you get immersed in the reading experience,” says Lindsay. “I was very emotionally involved with the books, but when I re-read them, I was as critical as I could. It makes for a deeper experience because you’re engaged with how you’re being emotionally positioned, and reading against that.”
Lindsay will graduate from Victoria University of Wellington in December this year.
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