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Helene Cixous is among the most influential and original literary critics and feminist thinkers of our time. This volume reproduces - for the first time, in any language - a collection of pages from her original writing notebooks, offering a unique insight into her radical thought and work. The material gathered here ranges across the full spectrum of Cixous' writing, including the concept of ecriture feminine, and the starting points and sources of inspiration for her poetry and prose. The editor's introduction succinctly outlines the central tenets of Cixous' theory of writing. Each extract is accompanied by editorial commentary and a translation, both by Susan Sellers. The book concludes with an interview with Cixous herself, in which she discusses the writing process, her own criticism, fiction and poetry and the value and importance of these notebooks. Students and teachers of literature, psychoanalysis, philosophy and feminist theory will find this an illuminating and inspiring collection of writings.
Cixous' work as a playwright - working mainly with Theatre du
Soleil and their director Ariane Mnouchkine - establishes her as a
participant in some of the most adventurous European theatre making
of the last 40 years.
A genre-defying book from one of France's most well-known philosopher-writers. In the Lower Saxony region of northwestern Germany sits the city of Osnabruck. This is where, in 1648, the Peace of Westphalia was signed, bringing the Thirty Years' War and one of the most calamitous periods of European history to an end. But the city was later to witness another calamity. Today, as one walks through Old Synagogue Street in a rich neighborhood of Osnabruck, one might miss noticing a pile of pale stones held together by chicken wire that sits between two fashionable homes. These are the well-kept ruins from behind which stares a gaping space-a place of memory and oblivion. Four polished plaques tell the tale of the horror-filled night of November 9, 1938-today known as Kristallnacht-when the synagogue that had stood on this spot was desecrated, looted, set on fire, and eventually demolished by Hitler's forces. On the same day, ninety parishioners were imprisoned by the Gestapo and eventually sent to the Buchenwald concentration camp. Osnabruck was also home to Eve Klein, a member of the city's early-twentieth-century Jewish community and the mother of author Helene Cixous. In Well-Kept Ruins, Cixous returns to the historic city in 2019 and reflects on the remains of the synagogue that "express the life lost, the life kept." Walking the streets of the city, plumbing the depths of the past along with her own family's history, looking deep into the future, and punctuating her poetic prose with haunting photographs, Cixous explores the ruins at the heart of humanity. Part memoir, part philosophical meditation, Well-Kept Ruins is a genre-defying and timely reflection of the contemporary human condition.
Cixous' work as a playwright - working mainly with Theatre du
Soleil and their director Ariane Mnouchkine - establishes her as a
participant in some of the most adventurous European theatre making
of the last 40 years.
These interviews with H?l?ne Cixous offer invaluable insight into her philosophy and criticism. Culled from newspapers, journals, and books, "White Ink" collects the best of these conversations, which address the major concerns of Cixous's critical work and features two dialogues with twentieth-century intellectuals Michel Foucault and Jacques Derrida. The interviews in "White Ink" span more than three decades and include a new conversation with Susan Sellers, the book's editor and a leading Cixous scholar and translator. Cixous discusses her work and writing process. She shares her views on literature, feminism, theater, autobiography, philosophy, politics, aesthetics, religion, ethics, and human relations, and she reflects on her roles as poet, playwright, professor, woman, Jew, and, her most famous, "French feminist theorist." Sellers organizes "White Ink" in such a way that readers can grasp the development of Cixous's commentary on a series of vital questions. Taken together, the revealing performances in "White Ink" provide an excellent introduction this thinker's brave and vital work--each one an event in language and thought that epitomizes Cixous's intellectual and poetic force.
French Feminism Reader is a collection of essays representing the authors and issues from French theory most influential in the American context. The book is designed for use in courses, and it includes illuminating introductions to the work of each author. These introductions include biographical information, influences and intellectual context, major themes in the author's work as a whole, and specific introductions to the selections in this volume. The contributors represent the two trends in French theory that have proven most useful to American feminists: social theory and psychoanalytic theory. Both of these trends move away from any traditional discussions of nature toward discussions of socially constructed notions of sex, sexuality and gender roles. While feminists interested in social theory focus on the ways in which social institutions shape these notions, feminists interested in psychoanalytic theory focus on cultural representations of sex, sexuality and gender roles, and the ways that they affect the psyche. This collection includes selections by Simone de Beauvoir, Christine Delphy, Colette Guilluamin, Monique Wittig, Michele Le Doeuff, Julia Kristeva, Luce Irigaray, and Helene Cixous.
French Feminism Reader is a collection of essays representing the authors and issues from French theory most influential in the American context. The book is designed for use in courses, and it includes illuminating introductions to the work of each author. These introductions include biographical information, influences and intellectual context, major themes in the author's work as a whole, and specific introductions to the selections in this volume. The contributors represent the two trends in French theory that have proven most useful to American feminists: social theory and psychoanalytic theory. Both of these trends move away from any traditional discussions of nature toward discussions of socially constructed notions of sex, sexuality and gender roles. While feminists interested in social theory focus on the ways in which social institutions shape these notions, feminists interested in psychoanalytic theory focus on cultural representations of sex, sexuality and gender roles, and the ways that they affect the psyche. This collection includes selections by Simone de Beauvoir, Christine Delphy, Colette Guilluamin, Monique Wittig, Michele Le Doeuff, Julia Kristeva, Luce Irigaray, and Helene Cixous.
Helene Cixous -- author, playwright and French feminist theorist --
is a key figure in twentieth-century literary theory. Stigmata
brings together her most recent essays for the first time.
A 'wilful extremist' according to the London Times, Helene Cixous is hailed as one of the most formidable writers and thinkers of our time. Acclaimed by luminaries such as Jacques Derrida, her writing has nonetheless been misunderstood and misread, to a surprising extent. With the inclusion of Stigmata, one of her greatest works into the Routledge Classics series, this is about to change. Questions that have long concerned her - the self and the other, autobiographies of writing, sexual difference, literary theory, post-colonial theory, death and life - are explored here, woven into a stunning narrative. Displaying a remarkable virtuosity, the work of Cixous is heady stuff indeed: exciting, powerful, moving, and dangerous.
These interviews with H?l?ne Cixous offer invaluable insight into her philosophy and criticism. Culled from newspapers, journals, and books, "White Ink" collects the best of these conversations, which address the major concerns of Cixous's critical work and features two dialogues with twentieth-century intellectuals Michel Foucault and Jacques Derrida. The interviews in "White Ink" span more than three decades and include a new conversation with Susan Sellers, the book's editor and a leading Cixous scholar and translator. Cixous discusses her work and writing process. She shares her views on literature, feminism, theater, autobiography, philosophy, politics, aesthetics, religion, ethics, and human relations, and she reflects on her roles as poet, playwright, professor, woman, Jew, and, her most famous, "French feminist theorist." Sellers organizes "White Ink" in such a way that readers can grasp the development of Cixous's commentary on a series of vital questions. Taken together, the revealing performances in "White Ink" provide an excellent introduction this thinker's brave and vital work--each one an event in language and thought that epitomizes Cixous's intellectual and poetic force.
"In 1968-69 I wanted to die, that is to say, stop living, being killed, but it was blocked on all sides," wrote Helene Cixous, esteemed French feminist, playwright, philosopher, literary critic, and novelist. Instead of suicide, she began to dream of writing a tomb for herself. This tomb became a work that is a testament to Cixous's life and spirit and a secret book, the first book she ever authored. Originally written in 1970, Tombe is a Homerian recasting of Shakespeare's Venus and Adonis in the thickets of Central Park, a book Cixous provocatively calls the "all-powerful-other of all my books, it sparks them off, makes them run, it is their Messiah." Masterfully translated by Laurent Milesi, Tombe preserves the sonic complexities and intricate wordplay at the core of Cixous's writing, and reveals the struggles, ideas, and intents at the center of her work. With a new prologue by the author, this is a necessary document in the development of Cixous's aesthetic as a writer and theorist, and will be eagerly welcomed by readers as a crucial building block in the foundation of her later work.
Helene Cixous is arguably the most insightful and unbridled reader
of Jacques Derrida today. In "Insister," she brings a unique
mixture of scholarly erudition, theoretical speculation, and
breathtaking textual explication to an extremely close reading of
Derrida's work. At the same time, "Insister" is an extraordinarily
poetic meditation, a work of literature and of mourning for Jacques
Derrida the person, who was a close friend and accomplice of
Cixous's from the beginning of their careers.
Helene Cixous is arguably the most insightful and unbridled reader
of Jacques Derrida today. In "Insister," she brings a unique
mixture of scholarly erudition, theoretical speculation, and
breathtaking textual explication to an extremely close reading of
Derrida's work. At the same time, "Insister" is an extraordinarily
poetic meditation, a work of literature and of mourning for Jacques
Derrida the person, who was a close friend and accomplice of
Cixous's from the beginning of their careers.
"Three Steps on the Ladder of Writing" is a poetic, insightful, and ultimately moving exploration of 'the strange science of writing.' In a magnetic, irresistible narrative, Cixous reflects on the writing process and explores three distinct areas essential for 'great' writing: "The School of the Dead" -- the notion that something or someone must die in order for good writing to be born; "The School of Dreams" -- the crucial role dreams play in literary inspiration and output; and "The School of Roots" -- the importance of depth in the 'nether realms' in all aspects of writing. Cixous's love of language and passion for the written word is evident on every page. Her emotive style draws heavily on the writers she most admires: the Brazilian novelist Clarice Lispector, the Russian poet Marina Tsvetaeva, the Austrian novelists Ingeborg Bachmann and Thomas Bernhard, Dostoyevsky and, most of all, Kafka.
A "wilful extremist" according to the "London Times, " Helene
Cixous is hailed as one of the most formidable writers and thinkers
of our time. From collaborating with acclaimed performance company
Theatre du Soleil, to producing a weighty body of both fiction and
non-fiction, Cixous is celebrated for her brilliant contributions
to contemporary culture. Acclaimed by luminaries such as Jacques
Derrida, her writing has nonetheless been misunderstood and
misread, to a surprising extent. With the inclusion of "Stigmata,"
one of her greatest works into the "Routledge Classics "series,
this is about to change.
All the time when I lived in Algeria, my native country, I dreamt of one day arriving in Algeria. Born in Oran, Algeria, Helene Cixous spent her childhood in France's former colony. ""Reveries of the Wild Woman"" is her visceral memoir of a preadolescence that shaped her with intense feelings of alienation, yet also contributed, in a paradoxically essential way, to her development as a writer and philosopher. Born to a French father and an Austro-German mother, both Jews, Cixous experienced a childhood fraught with racial and gender crisis. In her moving story she recounts how small events - a new dog, the gift of a bicycle - reverberate decades later as symbols filled with social and psychological meaning. She and her family endure a double alienation, by Algerians for being French and by the French for being Jewish, and Cixous builds her story on the themes of isolation and exclusion she felt in particular under the Vichy government and during the Algerian Civil War. Yet she also concedes that memories of Algeria awaken in her a longing for her home country, and ponders how that stormy relationship has influenced her life and thought. A meditation on postcolonial identity and gender, ""Reveries of the Wild Woman"" is also a poignant recollection of how a girl's childhood is, indeed, author to the woman.
Something of a historical event, this book combines loosely
"autobiographical" texts by two of the most influential French
intellectuals of our time. "Savoir," by Helene Cixous, is a brief
but densely layered account of her experience of recovered sight
after a lifetime of severe myopia, an experience that ends with the
unexpected turn of grieving for what is lost. Her literary
inventiveness mines the coincidence in French between the two verbs
"savoir" (to know) and "voir" (to see). Jacques Derrida's "A
Silkworm of One's Own" complexly muses on a host of
autobiographical, philosophical, and religious motifs--including
his varied responses to "Savoir." The two texts are accompanied by
six beautiful and evocative drawings that play on the theme of
drapery over portions of the body.
In writing "Le Livre de Promethea" Helene Cixous set for herself the task of bridging the immeasurable distance between love and language. She describes a love between two women in its totality, experienced as both a physical presence and a sense of infinity. The result is a stunning example of Pecriture feminine that won kudos when published in France in 1983. Its translation into English by Betsy Wing will extend the influence of a writer already famous for her novels and contributions to feminist theory. In her introduction Betsy Wing notes the contemporary emphasis on "fictions of presence." Cixous, in "The Book of Promethea," works to "repair the separation between fiction and presence, trying to chronicle a very-present love without destroying it in the writing."
A searching meditation on "authorship" by an eminent theorist. An inner journey across space and time linking the "author" to other poets, this lyrical essay-poem continues Helene Cixous's exhilarating rewriting of notions of boundary, self, other, and author. The renowned source of the notion of ecriture feminine, Cixous here interrogates the status of the author, connecting distant instances of herself with other writers who traverse genders, generations, and national boundaries. In doing so, she pursues the rhythms of a mind thinking, tentatively following each thought from its enigmatic inception through all its twists and turns into the next thought's mysterious beginnings. Here, then, is the "flux full of silent words flowing from one community to the other, from one life to the other, the strange legend, inaudible except to the heart of one or the other, the narrative weaving itself on high". By turns thrilling and chimerical, hypnotic and startling, this first-person meditation -- or, in Freud's term for a dream-text, theorie-fiction -- does not aspire to reflect reality so much as transform the ways in which we perceive it, creating new terms for subjectivity and the "real". Above all, First Days of the Year (published originally in French as Jours de l'an) is a celebration of beginnings and future possibilities, based on necessity and hope, constantly mediating writing and living, life and death. Like all of Cixous's profoundly original works, it seductively leads the reader into a new way of thinking by disrupting fixed ideas of psychic identity, subjectivity, and language.
The texts that comprise this volume were selected from Helene Cixous's seminars on the work of Clarice Lispector. They reflect Cixous's own meditations on problems of reading and writing, and on related themes such as exchange and the gift, love and passion, as well as trace the influence of Lispector's work on her own development. Reading the Brazilian writer from the vantage point of modern theory, Cixous aims to draw her into the mainstream of current debates which question the concept of the so-called rational "Cartesian" individual and which note the increasing power of the social and applied sciences that seek to establish control over the individual. The book includes extracts of Clarice Lispector's prose writing, such as "The Apple in the Dark - The Temptations of Understanding" and "The Hour of the Star:How Does One Desire Wealth or Poverty?".
H?l?ne Cixous is more than an influential theorist. She is also a groundbreaking author and playwright. Combining an idiosyncratic mix of autobiographical and fictional narrative with a host of philosophical and poetic observations, Cixous's writing matches the kaleidoscopic nature of her thought, offering new ways of conceptualizing sex, relationships, identity, and the self, among other topics. Yet, as Jacques Derrida once observed, a "profound misunderstanding" hangs over the accomplishments of Cixous, with many believing the intellectual excelled only at theoretical exploration. Providing a truly liberal selection of her writings from throughout her career, Marta Segarra rediscovers Cixous's acts of invention for a new generation to enjoy. Divided into thematic concerns, these works fully capture Cixous's genius for merging fiction, theory, and the experience of living. They discuss dreaming in the feminine, Algeria and Germany, love and the other, the animal, Derrida, and the theater. They defy classification, locking literature, philosophy, and psychoanalysis into thrilling new patterns of engagement. Whether readers are familiar with Cixous or are approaching her thought for the first time, all will find fresh perspectives on gender, fiction, drama, philosophy, religion, and the postcolonial.
'I have often declared my admiration for Helene Cixous, for the person and for the work: immense, powerful, so multiple but unique in this century.' - Jacques Derrida 'Insister of Jacques Derrida, so expertly translated by Derrida's principal and most faithful translator, Peggy Kamuf, is an indispensable, daring, heartfelt and moving book...It presents a flawless, committed reading that is in the spirit of Derrida in its serious playfulness, its poetic sinuousness, its elegant reasoning and rhetoric while also being wholly in Cixous' own singular voice. This is not merely a study of Derrida, it is a haunting dialogue with his memory and with his phantom.' - Julian Wolfreys, Professor of Modern Literature and Culture, Loughborough University Helene Cixous is arguably the most insightful and unbridled reader of Jacques Derrida today. In Insister she brings a unique mixture of theoretical speculation, breath-taking textual explication and scholarly erudition to an extremely close reading of Derrida's work, always attentive to the details of his thinking. At the same time, Insister is an extraordinarily poetic meditation, a work of literature and of mourning for Jacques Derrida the person, who was a close friend and accomplice of Cixous's from the beginning of their careers. Insister of Jacques Derrida joins Dream I Tell You by Helene Cixous and Geneses, Genealogies, Genres and Genius by Jacques Derrida, also published in The Frontiers of Theory series.
Helene Cixous chronicles the last six months of her mother's life, transgressing the mother-daughter relation in the experience of dying Mother Homer is Dead was written in the immediate aftermath of the death of the writer's mother in the 103rd year of her life. Eve Cixous, nee Klein, has figured centrally in her daughter's writing since the publication of Osnabruck (1999). Since then, Cixous's work has turned in ever-tighter orbits around the relation to her mother's life as it tapers down toward death. The writer discovers a guide book for the task written in her mother's own hand, where the narrator comes to realise that she will have been midwife to her mother's death. In French, this substitutability or reversibility of birth and death is facilitated by the noun accouchement, childbirth or labour, but which literally says 'bedding, putting or going to bed'. The reversal also concerns the positions of mother/child. What is happening requires the child to become the mother of the mother. How then must she hear her child's repeated cry of 'Help me, help me'? Is it help dying that she wants? And how to know this is indeed her desire? The narrator/writer, when in doubt, opts always for life, for more life for her mother, but to the point that many of those around her--family, friends, doctors, nurses--warn that she has lost touch with 'reality'. Perhaps never has the agony of letting go of the dying one been so unflinchingly rendered. Cixous's exquisitely poetic prose has also never been put to a more harrowing test of its inventive capacities. Key Features The first translation into English Primary text by a celebrated French author and intellectual Extraordinary account of the experience of death and coping with bereavement
An inventive literary account of Cixous's remarkable journey to her mother's birthplace Winner, French Voices Award for Excellence in Publication and Translation For about eighty years, the Jonas family of Osnabruck were part of a small but vibrant Jewish community in this mid-size city of Lower Saxony. After the war, Osnabruck counted not a single Jew. Most had been deported and murdered in the camps, others emigrated if they could and if they managed to overcome their own inertia. It is this inertia and failure to escape that Helene Cixous seeks to account for in Osnabruck Station to Jerusalem. Vicious anti-Semitism hounded all of Osnabruck's Jews long before the Nazis' rise to power in 1933. So why did people wait to leave when the threat was so patent, so in-their-face? Drawn from the stories told to Cixous by her mother, Eve, and grandmother, Rosalie (Rosi), this literary work reimagines fragments of Eve's and Rosi's stories, including the death of Eve's uncle, Onkel Andre. Piecing together the story of Andreas Jonas from what she was told and from what she envisages, Cixous recounts the tragedy of the one she calls the King Lear of Osnabruck, who followed his daughter to Jerusalem only to be sent away by her and to return to Osnabruck in time to be deported to a death camp. Cixous wanders the streets of the city she had heard about all her life in her mother's and grandmother's stories, digs into its archives, meets city officials, all the while wondering if she should have come. These hesitations and reflections in the present, often voiced in dialogues staged with her own son or daughter, are woven with scenes from her childhood in Algeria and the half-remembered, half-invented stories of the Jonas family, making Osnabruck Station to Jerusalem one of the author's most intensely engaging books. This work received the French Voices Award for excellence in publication and translation. French Voices is a program created and funded by the French Embassy in the United States and FACE (French American Cultural Exchange). |
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