Holberg Prize Talks cover image

Stephen Greenblatt: The 2016 Holberg Conversation

Holberg Prize Talks

00:00

How Important Is the Material Medium for Literature?

The oldest work of literature in the world is on cuneiform tablets from Mesopotamia. When those cities were destroyed by their enemies when Nineveh was burned down, or Babylon, they turned into a kind of kiln. And that's why the oldest story that survives, I think, from all of our species, from humanity is Gilgamesh - because of the medium it was written in.

Transcript
Play full episode

The AI-powered Podcast Player

Save insights by tapping your headphones, chat with episodes, discover the best highlights - and more!
App store bannerPlay store banner
Get the app