Category Archives: Philosophy + Theory + Criticism
Sontag and the movies.
Her opposition to interpretation locked criticism into a self-abnegating passivity, abstemiousness, and austerity (as if borrowed from a work by one of her heroes and models, Kafka’s “The Hunger Artist”: “I always wanted you to admire my fasting”). The “erotics … Continue reading
Tribute to Northrop Frye
Valente was not alone in being inspired by Frye. He was one of those teachers who often altered the direction of individual students’ lives. The longtime English professor (one of U of T’s longest serving) overcame his natural shyness sufficiently … Continue reading
Filed under Philosophy + Theory + Criticism
Judith Butler on reading Kafka.
A Judith Butler seminar on reading Kafka and the relationship between literature and philosophy. [via YouTube] d
Filed under Literature, Philosophy + Theory + Criticism
Two obituaries.
British philosopher Sir Michael Dummett has died. [via The Guardian] On his work, the Guardian says: He did not see how we could understand a sentence without having some way of manifesting our understanding. And he did not see how … Continue reading
Filed under Music, Philosophy + Theory + Criticism
Christopher Hitchens, 1949-2011.
Christopher Hitchens has died. An obituary at the Guardian. [via The Guardian] d
Filed under Philosophy + Theory + Criticism
Interview with John Berger
An interview with John Berger over at the Paris Review, with a focus on his most recent book, Bento’s Sketchbook. Excerpt: To tell the truth, I never really thought of myself as an art critic. I mean, I wrote a … Continue reading
Filed under Philosophy + Theory + Criticism
Ruby Cohn, 1922-2011
Beckett scholar Ruby Cohn has passed away at age 89. [via A Piece of Monologue] d
Filed under Philosophy + Theory + Criticism
Meeting Derrida again.
This past week, Derrida’s shadow came up a bit during my classes. I was strangely struck by how recent his death was, as if he had always been so far (far away? far ahead?) as to seem to have left … Continue reading
Filed under Philosophy + Theory + Criticism
