> I must say matches on "the eternal present" are a giant bag of mystical wank, no disrespect to yourself intended.

Yeah, I searched _after_ I commented.

Here's what kagi yielded for `literary eternal present` [0]

> Literary works, paintings, films, and other artistic creations are assumed to exist in an eternal present. Therefore, when you write about writers or artists as they express themselves in their work, use the present tense.

(Disclosure: I am trained as a scholar of language and literature.)

[0] https://www.vanderbilt.edu/writing/resources/handouts/how-an...