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Maël Renouard

MAËL RENOUARD is a philosopher and writer. He was awarded the prestigious Prix Décembre for his 2013 novella, La Réforme de l’opéra de Pékin (“The Reform of the Beijing Opera”), and, in 2016, published a philosophical account of life with the internet, Fragments d’une mémoire infinie (“Fragments of an Infinite Memory”).

The Submersion of Personal Memory

Every time I write an account of some personal episode, it seems more impossible to rely on my memory alone. I need only attempt to describe a city neighborhood or cite a news item from the era in question, and I naturally resort to Google to hone or complete my memories. If it hopes to describe the twists and turns of a mind as accurately as possible, the literature of introspection, whether autobiography or psychological novel, ought now to mention the name Google every sentence or two.

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The Brooklyn Rail

SEPT 2023

All Issues