The Rewarding Readings, a review of the book In Simple Words, by Richard Ford

Richard Ford, born in Mississippi in 1944, has established himself as one of the most respected American authors through his novels such as A Piece of My Heart (1976), The Sportswriter (1986), and Independence Day (1995). His literary style is marked by rhythmic precision, allowing him to portray ordinary individuals grappling with familial failure, aging, and mortality. His latest work, the essay In Simple Words (2026), translated by Damià Alou and published by Feltrinelli Lectures, explores the poetic process, poiética, and the ethical dimensions of literature. Ford maintains that politics does not deliberately enter his texts. His works fall outside the categories of socialist realism or ideological fiction, avoiding the didacticism often found in politically charged narratives such as Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged. Instead, he focuses on language itself, drawing parallels with French symbolists who emphasized the aesthetic qualities of words over their political implications. In In Simple Words, Ford reflects on how language functions beyond mere communication. He describes words as objects with form, density, and sonic qualities, suggesting they carry cognitive nuances and relationships with opposing meanings. These elements contribute to the meaning readers derive from texts and explain why writers choose certain words and why readers continue to engage with them. Despite his focus on craftsmanship over ideology, Ford aligns with Aristotle's assertion that "man is a political animal." This means that human actions occur within the framework of society governed by the state. Through the depiction of everyday lives, Ford’s narratives subtly reflect the worldviews of specific historical periods, often unconsciously embedding broader societal values into his stories. He writes that the structures of homes, villages, and institutions seem to him the fundamental elements of a novel. The political nature of such a novel arises from the fact that private life finds its expression and perfection within the state. This perspective underscores the interplay between personal experience and collective existence. This viewpoint resonates with the theories of Russian formalist Yuri Tyniánov, who argued in 1927 that social life correlates with literature primarily through its verbal aspects. Writers, regardless of their political leanings, must attend to and shape the material of their craft, the words themselves. This forms the core of the concept of poiética. Ford also addresses the ethical dimension of fiction, particularly its relationship with the reader. In classical antiquity, Horace suggested poetry should combine beauty with utility. Georg Lukács believed the novel should become aware of social conflicts, while Walter Benjamin emphasized the importance of readers finding meaning in existence. Ford arrives at a similar conclusion: literature represents human life honestly and possesses an ethical, moral, and political dimension. The experiences of others, embodied in individual histories, reveal both the contradictions of the world and the aspirations of individuals and communities to live with dignity.