What is considered a classic work? - who decides what gets to survive?

## What is a classic? - who decides what gets to survive?

Short summary

Every year, a thousand new things scream for your attention. A “classic” is the opposite: it refuses to die.
But that raises a spicy question: Is a classic something that’s truly great… or something society just agreed to keep repeating?
We’ll use a short essay called “What Is a Classic?” (Sainte-Beuve) as the backbone - then we’ll fight it out in the modern world: algorithms, fandoms, gatekeeping, and whether “timeless” is real or just marketing that lasted 200 years.

The link to the Essay :
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1RFk-XkqsVKCF1AMg8c2T7LkCymPjpdkDioMtoz1DE-I/edit?usp=sharing

What we’ll explore

• Classic vs. popular - are we confusing “famous” with “good”?
• Do classics have a signature? (Depth, style, moral force, psychological truth?)
• Who gets left out - and does that change the definition?
• The modern test: if TikTok ran culture forever, what survives 100 years?

How we’ll do it

• Quick primer (who Sainte-Beuve is and what he’s trying to defend)
• A few short passages to anchor the debate
• Open floor, but guided (so it stays sharp, not chaotic)

When and where

🗓️ Sun, Jan 11, 2026 - 3:00 PM to 4:30 PM
📍 Central Library - Meeting Rooms - L4 North (492)
Cap 12-15 + waitlist