The Rise of the Footnote
April 2nd, 2008 by James BridleOnly Radio 4 could come up with a programme described as “A light-hearted look at the history of the footnote in western literature”, and on April Fools’ Day no less (MP3). Yet it has all the hallmarks of the well-made one-off: bizarre attention to detail, strange obsessives, and occasionally over-reaching presentation tics (I’m generally fond of programmes that examine things impossible to replicate on radio - this programme’s tinkling, sotto voce attempt at ‘footnotes’ is a good/bad example).
The usual R4 suspects crop up (Hello, Lynn Truss!) but so do more interesting types, like the logorrhoeic Kevin Jackson, who I could listen to forever, and the always-entertaining Terry Pratchett, who claims to have introduced footnotes to the theatre (Dr Evil’s father springs to mind). A pity more time wasn’t spent examining the future of footnotes, currently experiencing a bit of a renaissance thanks to Wikipedia and friends.
My first post to Speechification: I hope you enjoy. Expect more of a literary bent, perhaps.
April 8th, 2008 at 6:14 pm
light amusement, yes! This is what will stick with me, I think: the anticipatory pleasure of sensing with peripheral vision as they turn the page a grey silt of further example and qualification waiting in tiny type at the bottom — both charming and quite accurate.
I’m certain I heard Mr Schott say “asterix”, though. Shame on you, sir!
April 8th, 2008 at 6:15 pm
(excuse formatting: around the quotation I tried to use citation tags, which were stripped!)