Irony: The Salt in the Literary Banquet
with Suzanne Hoover
What is Irony? How does it work? Why do we need it? How can we use it in our writing?
A work without irony is like a meal without salt: it lacks character and resonance. More important, it lacks the ring of Truth. In this talk we will explore the way irony is inescapable in our experience, and so must inform the way we read the world. We will look at some of the techniques good writers have used to bring these insights to life, to add great depth and power to their creations.
Suzanne Hoover received a B.A. from Sarah Lawrence and a Ph.D. in English and Comparative Literature from Columbia University. After a couple of decades of teaching literature at Sarah Lawrence, and then a hiatus of a few years, she returned in 2008 to teach in the Graduate Writing Program.