Ep40: The Sin of "I" - A Conversation with Erwin Warkentin

In this episode, Duleepa Wijayawardhana | Tech Leader & Storyteller turns the tables on his former professor, Dr. Erwin Warkentin. What starts as a literary critique of a "raw" first-draft short story evolves into a profound conversation about memory, aging, and the terror of the first-person perspective.

Erwin shares a story about a teenage boy, a school dance in -30°C Winnipeg weather, and a memorial scholarship that triggers a realization that his world is shrinking. But the central tension of the episode isn't the plot—it's the pronoun. Why did Erwin write a deeply personal story in the third person? They discuss the "Sin of I," the Mennonite concept of Hochmut (pride), and whether hiding behind "He" protects the writer or cheats the reader

Note: The short story discussed in this episode is not included in the text or audio. As discussed, the idea of the story—and how narrative voice changes it—is more important than the draft itself.

Key Topics Discussed:

1. The "Sin" of Autobiography: How Erwin’s Mennonite upbringing and the concept of Hochmut make writing "I" feel like an act of arrogance.
2. The Shrinking World: Exploring the theme of aging, where the cast of characters in one's life slowly disappears, leaving only memories behind.
3. The "Sauerkraut" Method: Erwin’s unique way of explaining burying a draft "in the ground" for months to let it ferment before revisiting it.
4. Literary Forms: A look at the epistolary novel (letter form) and the influence of Goethe’s The Sorrows of Young Werther on personal correspondence.
5. Winnipeg Nostalgia: A trip down memory lane featuring CKRC radio, "Hunky Bill’s" pierogi makers, and the mystery of dating girls hidden under layers of nylon and fur.

Memorable Quotes:

"You can build me a rocket to take me to Mars or anywhere else in this universe, but without literature, would I want to make the trip?" — Dr. Erwin Warkentin (quoting a former student)

"I realized that of the people that I was close to growing up, I am literally the only one left.

Mentioned in this Episode:

1. Die Leiden des jungen Werthers (The Sorrows of Young Werther) by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
2. "If" by Bread (Song)
3. Hunky Bill (Winnipeg Icon)

About the Guest:

Dr. Erwin Warkentin is a former professor of German and Communication Studies at Memorial University, currently living in Berlin. He is a writer, a scholar of German literature, and—for this episode—a brave soul willing to have his first draft critiqued on air.