S1 – 6. Rolf Reber: Literature and the Artful Mind
Rolf Reber, Professor in Cognitive Psychology at the University of Oslo, speaks to Karin Kukkonen about reading and emotional engagement, and the ways in which readers find pleasure in literature through “critical feeling.” Listen as Rolf Reber describes how “the artful mind” appreciates literature on multiple levels, and why knowledge about a book’s composition and the time and place when it was written can make reading more enjoyable. They also discuss whether stories need to be true in order to affect readers emotionally and what psychology can learn from literature about emotions.
The reading recommendation from Rolf Reber:
Adalbert Stifter, Indian Summer (external link). Translated from German by Wendell Frye.
Rolf Reber, Critical Feeling: How to use Feelings Strategically (external link)