Section 1.2 Reading Film: Wayne Wang and Paul Auster's Smoke
The World Wide Web is a good place to begin searching for background information on authors and film directors. One kind of information that is easy to find is biographical information.
- Kenneth Kreutzer's short biography of Paul Auster, for instance, can help you understand the life of this author, and better contextualize his work.
Interviews, for instance, are often archived in electronic journals, e-zines, and private home pages. For the student of literature and film, a well-conducted interview provides a wealth of information that permits a better understanding of authors' intentions, chief preoccupations, concerns, and obsessions. It is necessary to keep in mind the fact that interviews often serve as publicity vehicles, particularly in the world of Hollywood film, and so may be slanted accordingly. It is also necessary to remember that authors and directors are not always the best judges or critics of their own work. Nevertheless, the following links to interviews with Paul Auster and Wayne Wang may provide you with stepping stones into your own more extensive searches:
- Consider Movie Talk's Interview with Wayne Wang.
- Consult Springer's list of interviews with Paul Auster for more information on Auster's writing.
For more information on Auster and Wang, follow these links:
- The "Definitive" Paul Auster page (with some helpful interviews)
- Paul Auster
The Web can also provide information on literary movements and trends. You have been introduced to the term "modernism" in your Study Guide for English 373. You might wish to search for more information on this mode of writing on the web and in Athabasca University's library.
- Begin by reading a brief description of Modernism and the Modern Novel from the Electronic Labyrinth.
- Then turn to Athabasca's library to continue your search. Keep track of book and article titles you think are interesting; you may wish to borrow them for your research essay.
