Ibsen revisited
Ibsen konkordans - a site which lets you search through 630.000 of the words Ibsen used in his plays and poems to discover in which context, they were used, the frequency of their use etc.(in Norwegian).
Would have loved to have a tool like this when back in 94 (?), I was writing a paper on Ibsen and Joyce and their view on the calling of the artist..."For jeg er *født til kunstner, sér du. - Og blir så aldrig andet end kunstner alligevel" - says Rubek in "Når vi døde vågner" (When We Dead Awaken). It came up in the search on the word "Kunstner" (artist) immediately.
Perhaps this quote also summarises Ibsen's view on his own life and career. "Når vi døde vågner" was his last play, and could in many ways be read as an old man's replay of the pros and cons of a life devoted blindly to career and personal merit. Should be compulsory reading for artists and academics alike!
# posted by Lisbeth at: 20:35