Commonplace with Benjamin Saltzman, Author of Turning Away: The Poetics of an Ancient Gesture

Katie Marshall chats to Professor Benjamin Saltzman about his new book 'Turning Away: The Poetics of an Ancient Gesture'. Exploring how averting one's gaze in the face of suffering, grief and shame has been depicted and interpreted from the ancient world to the modern day.

Do we still have agency to choose to 'turn away' in the age of social media and what lessons can we learn from the ancient interpretation of this universal, yet ambiguous gesture?

The second half explores highlights from Benjamin's own commonplace book, ranging from family connections and taking time out to home cooking and gratitude.

Chapters

• 00:00 Exploring the Gesture of Turning Away
• 04:11 The Poetics of Visual Culture
• 10:16 The Ancient Gesture and Its Modern Relevance
• 18:11 The Complexity of Turning Away
• 39:02 The Changing Attitudes and Agency
• 41:17 Exploring Commonplace Books
• 42:01 The Art of Memorisation
• 43:02 Influence of Philosophy and Art
• 43:27 The Essence of Commonplace Books
• 45:30 The Impact of Quotes and Philosophy
• 47:22 Art and Personal Memories
• 54:48 The Power of Poetry
• 59:34 Cooking and Creativity
• 01:01:44 Gratitude and Aspirations
• 01:03:01 Wild Card: Capturing Essence