Smartphones, laptops, tablets – modern technology has become ubiquitous in our daily lives. But do these devices intrude upon personal relationships, or do they provide opportunities to connect? Does the easy availability of recording ensure accuracy, or does it invalidate genuine memories? Ben Lerner explores these contemporary issues in his latest work, “Transcription.” A mere 144 pages, the book is divided into three parts, each identified by the name of a hotel pertinent to the events recounted in that section.  In the first part, the narrator, who remains unnamed throughout the book, is traveling to Providence, Rhode Island, to interview Thomas, his former mentor, a world-renowned intellectual. Now a writer for an unnamed magazine, the narrator inadvertently destroys his smartphone. This leaves him with no means to record their vital conversation, one that will likely be their last owing to Thomas’ advanced age.…