Discussing Time Through Literature

Nowadays one of the most intriguing debates all over the world appears to be the ongoing battle between digital culture and the humanities. The liberal arts, both physically (due to the budget cuts) and mentally, find themselves engaged in a struggle for survival within the Information Age, which is marked by pervasive social media and an enormous reservoir of visual material and (dis)information. Furthermore, the encroachment of artificial intelligence—which, besides opening new horizons, mercilessly drains the creativity, patience, and fortitude of the younger generation, who are on their educational journey—exacerbates an already existing dilemma. Just as we begin to admit the inevitability of the new world that has been ‘loading’ since the beginning of the twenty-first century, the number of articles on the necessity and vitality of the humanities in our lives multiply with each day. As a literary scholar within the field of American studies, I celebrated each piece of writing that aimed at defending and excelling the nature and the significance of the humanities as a discipline. Although the circle of the ‘guardians’ has shrunk considerably, it is encouraging to see that there are people who still see the power of genuine literature. Hence, when I received the honorary invitation to be a professorial voice for this issue along with young talented scholars, I decided to use this chance to humbly evoke, once again, how literature can provide a multidimensional perspective on the essential elements of our lives, help us understand the deeper layers of our existence, and push ourselves beyond the borders and frames of our mind.