Dalla bottega al software. La storia tedesca e il lavoro nella scrittura artigianale di Uwe Timm

Abstract

Work (and specifically: craftsmanship) is one of the central themes of Uwe Timm’s novels and essays on poetics, and plays a key role in his reconstruction of German history. Whether he describes techniques of stuffing animals and sewing furs, or writing techniques (from manual to computer), Timm’s work as a whole takes the form of a transgenerational novel about work in Germany, from the 19th century up to digital procedures and new technologies. At the same time, his texts are a kind of literary laboratory in which he experiments with writing modes that are consistent with craft practices. Thus, both on the level of cultural theory and literary practice, Timm offers a critical discourse on craftwork as a transformation of materials – including narrative ones.