From delospeter at hotmail.com Mon Jul 21 00:13:33 2008 From: delospeter at hotmail.com (PETER BALDWIN) Date: Mon, 21 Jul 2008 07:13:33 +0000 Subject: [ilds] Albert Cossery In-Reply-To: <4883EDC6.5060305@wfu.edu> References: <5899879.1216600301656.JavaMail.root@elwamui-karabash.atl.sa.earthlink.net> <4883EDC6.5060305@wfu.edu> Message-ID: The UK newpaper 'The Independant' carried a full obit about a week after Cossery's death - brief mention of C's frienship with LD Peter Baldwin Date: Sun, 20 Jul 2008 22:00:38 -0400From: slighcl at wfu.eduTo: gkoger at mindspring.com; ilds at lists.uvic.caSubject: Re: [ilds] Albert Cossery Albert Cossery, 'Voltaire of the Nile,' dies at 94 Jun 22, 2008 PARIS (AFP) ? Albert Cossery, an Egyptian writer who, in his adopted Paris, wrote with humour about the life of common people in his native Cairo, died Sunday in Paris, his publisher Joelle Losfeld said. He was 94. Cossery, whose eight books were translated into 15-odd languages, passed away in the modest streetcorner hotel that was his home for more than 60 years on the Left Bank, the literary heart of the French capital. "A few days before he died, this magnificent man was still making his usual rounds to the Cafe de Flore and the Deux Magots," a manager at the Louisiana hotel said, citing two famous literary haunts in the neighbourhood. His books -- which blended humour, sarcasm and Oriental wisdom -- included "Proud Beggars," "A Room In Cairo," "Men God Forgot," and his last novel, "The Colours of Infamy," published in French in 1999 and made into a comic book. Fans nicknamed him "the Voltaire of the Nile" and his stories were peopled with humble folk and misfits -- streetsweepers, thieves, prostitutes -- who mocked authority. "He writes in a French that belongs entirely to him about a Cairo that exists in his memory and imagination -- he left Egypt decades ago," said scholar and translator Alyson Waters in New York magazine, which last year named "Infamy" one of the world's best novels not yet published in English. Born on November 3, 1913, the son of a newspaper-reading Cairo landlord father and an illiterate mother, Cossery's early writings first appeared in French-language periodicals in Egypt in the 1930s. His childhood was spent at a time when French was the lingua franca of the middle classes in Cairo. He went to sea with the Egyptian merchant marine during World War II, then turned up in Paris in the late 1940s to write and live alongside a galaxy of literary friends that included Lawrence Durrell, Jean Genet and Albert Camus. "I love this language," he once said of French, although he added that he "thought in Arabic". "I am and remain an Egyptian of French culture and language, with an Egyptian universe," he added. "That is why my books only make reference to my country of birth." In Paris he always lived in the same room at the Louisiana hotel on Rue de Seine, free of all belongings bar his clothes. "To attest to one's presence on Earth, you don't need a car," he said. Throat cancer in 1998 left him almost unable to speak, and in interviews with journalists he resorted to scribbling his answers in a notebook. -- ********************** Charles L. Sligh Department of English Wake Forest University slighcl at wfu.edu ********************** _________________________________________________________________ Find the best and worst places on the planet http://clk.atdmt.com/UKM/go/101719807/direct/01/ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.uvic.ca/pipermail/ilds/attachments/20080721/b13ad7eb/attachment.html From slighcl at wfu.edu Mon Jul 21 04:56:36 2008 From: slighcl at wfu.edu (slighcl) Date: Mon, 21 Jul 2008 07:56:36 -0400 Subject: [ilds] Albert Cossery In-Reply-To: <4883EDC6.5060305@wfu.edu> References: <5899879.1216600301656.JavaMail.root@elwamui-karabash.atl.sa.earthlink.net> <4883EDC6.5060305@wfu.edu> Message-ID: <48847974.1000306@wfu.edu> http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/albert-cossery-a-voltaire-of-the-nile-and-master-of-irony-whose-novels-drew-on-the-egypt-of-his-youth-in-the-1930s-859055.html Independent.co.uk Albert Cossery: A 'Voltaire of the Nile' and master of irony whose novels drew on the Egypt of his youth in the 1930s Thursday, 3 July 2008 Until a few days before his death at the age of 94, the very thin, very upright, immaculately dressed figure of Albert Cossery could often be seen emerging in the late afternoon from the Hotel La Louisiane, rue de Seine (where he'd occupied a small room for over 60 years), sitting alone in the Luxembourg gardens or walking along the Boulevard St Germain, to the terrace of the Caf? Flore, where, as he said, "they have to be nice to me ? I'm the only one left". The stations of this daily itinerary scarcely varied: Cossery needed a particular universe in order to write, and to give us the very particular universe of his novels, which couldn't be farther from St Germain-des-Pr?s. They draw mainly on the Cairo of his youth in the 1930s and 1940s and form a kind of beggars' opera of idlers, prostitutes and pickpockets, ranged against their antagonists: policemen, government ministers or corrupt businessmen. Though he left Egypt for Paris after the Second World War, it never left him. In his eight novels, this "Voltaire of the Nile" satirised the false, hypocritical reality imposed on society over the centuries by the rich and powerful, which his heroes throw off by making their own revolution. They do this by detaching themselves from the prevalent values and dogma, from possessions and ambition, cultivating a freedom and indolence that enables them to give full rein to their enjoyment of life and their sensuality, as well as giving them precious time to think. The result constitutes a kind of antidote to Western life and society. Cossery could not be accused of being prolific; he wrote a book every 10 or so years and claimed to write a sentence per week (which he then would rewrite again and again) and often nothing for months or years, but, as he saw it, "doing nothing is inner work". Like his characters, he had few needs or possessions and his only ambition was that his books remain available, his only responsibility to observe and make fun. Born in Cairo in 1913, Albert Cossery was sent to French schools from the age of five. His father owned land and had no need to work; if the family ran into difficulty his mother would sell a piece of jewellery. From the age of 10 Cossery knew he'd become a writer and began writing stories about the films he saw with his mother. Although she was illiterate and his father had never read a book, his brothers were intellectuals and had all the classic French texts, which Cossery devoured as soon as he could read. He visited Paris at the age of 17 to continue his studies (but never did) and then, employed as chief steward on a liner from Port Said to New York, saw the world and the Second World War up close, transporting freight and then passengers (mostly Jews fleeing countries invaded by Hitler) across the Atlantic. When he was 27, his first book, Les Hommes oubli?s de Dieu (Men God Forgot, 1941), a collection of short stories, was published in Cairo and in the United States, with the help of Henry Miller, who wrote: "No living writer I know of describes more poignantly the lives of the vast submerged multitude of mankind. He touches depths of despair, degradation and resignation which neither Gorky nor Dostoevsky has registered. He is dealing of course with his own people, whose misery began before Western civilization was dreamed of." This was followed in 1944 by La Maison de la Mort Certaine (The House of Certain Death). At the end of the war, Cossery returned to Paris, attracted by the promise of its intellectual life (he particularly admired Stendhal, C?line, and Julien Gracq) and a contract with the French publisher Charlot. He had arrived in the city in time to witness Montparnasse before the war and St Germain after it ? the two best times for Paris, in his view ? and became particularly close to Albert Camus (his copain de drague), Lawrence Durrell, Tristan Tzara and Alberto Giacometti, as well as Jean Genet and Raymond Queneau. He also met and married the actress Monique Chaumette, although this relationship was not to last (he later put this down to his need to be alone). His next book was Les Fain?ants dans la Vall?e Fertile (published in English as The Lazy Ones and later made into a play and a film). Then came his most famous, Mendiants et Orgueilleux (1955, translated as Proud Beggars, 1981). What little of his work there was in English is out of print now; the writer John Murray offers a possible reason for Cossery's neglect here: "His use of irony is one of the most powerful and pity-inducing to be found in any literature East or West, old or new. It is an irony so fierce, an anger so sharply muted by inversion of sarcasm and disgust that it makes the reader's hair stand on end with guilty compassion." In his 1964 novel La Violence et la D?rision ("Violence and Derision"), Cossery argues the futility of locking horns with your oppressor; when all around is misery and corruption, he suggests, there is no point in violent confrontation, because this takes authority seriously ? exactly what it needs in order to survive. Far more effective ? and far more natural ? to undermine it by mockery and ridicule, as happens in this book to hilarious effect. After Un Complot de Saltimbanques ("A Conspiracy of Acrobats", 1975) came Une Ambition dans le D?sert ("Ambition in the Desert", 1984) which in many ways anticipated the first Gulf War and the war in Iraq. In this book the action moves to present-day Dofa, a wretchedly poor, fictional Gulf state which has so far escaped the attention of the great imperialist superpower and the multinational corporations: "They had invaded the neighbouring emirates which, to their misfortune, found themselves in possession of immense, undeniable oil resources. Devoid of any scruples and guided by their squalid interests, they had demeaned a race of kings, transforming them into miserable, filth-covered workers, in the image of their own working classes groaning in dark industrial cities. For a despicable salary, the last of these nomads had lost their nobility and their liberty. . . They who had known the eternity of horizons, the limpid sky over green oases and waking refreshed under canvas, had become exiles in their own kingdom." It transpires that the prime minister himself, desperate to play a part on the international scene, has organised a series of inept terrorist attacks in his own land in a vain bid for attention. After a 15-year silence Cossery brought out his last book, Les Couleurs de l'Infamie ("The Colours of Infamy", 1999), set in present-day Cairo, in which a pickpocket steals a wallet from a property developer (who is also the brother of a government minister) and in it finds a letter that reveals their complicity in the collapse of a building which caused the deaths of 50 people ("We're not living in the era of the Pharaohs; we have to build for a limited time period"). In 1990, Cossery was awarded the Grand Prix de la Francophonie de l'Acad?mie Fran?aise; this was followed by the Grand prix litt?raire de la ville d'Antibes in 1995 and the Prix Poncetton de la Soci?t? des gens des lettres in 2005. In his later years Cossery underwent two throat operations for cancer, which left him first hoarse and then unable to speak ?though he may have secretly rejoiced at not having to answer the endless questions put to him by the journalists and admirers who flocked to see him (in fact, during a hospital stay he wrote many of his answers on cards in advance for just such irritating occasions). Living a long life meant he had also to suffer the loss of all his family and many friends, most recently Marcello Mastroianni, Marco Ferreri and Michel Mitrani, with whom he collaborated on Conversation avec Albert Cossery (1995), which leaves the reader with this last thought: "A great book gives you extraordinary power. You may be poor, miserable, ill, desperate; reading a great masterpiece makes you forget all that." Lulu Norman Albert Cossery, writer: born Cairo 3 November 1913; married Monique Chaumette (marriage dissolved); died Paris 22 June 2008. Search Query: Independent.co.uk The Web Go Advanced search ?independent.co.uk Legal Terms & Policies | E-mail sign-up | RSS | Contact us | Syndication | Work for INM | Advertising Guide | Group Sites | London Careers -- ********************** Charles L. Sligh Department of English Wake Forest University slighcl at wfu.edu ********************** From richardpin at eircom.net Mon Jul 21 07:00:16 2008 From: richardpin at eircom.net (richardpin at eircom.net) Date: Mon, 21 Jul 2008 15:00:16 +0100 Subject: [ilds] Albert Cossery Message-ID: <200807211406.m6LE6l4K8192216@cascara.comp.uvic.ca> Thanks Charles. We have most of his novels in the DSC library, including a signed copy of 'Proud Beggars'. Damned good stuff, and runs Mahfouz a close second (or is it the other way round?). RP ilds at lists.uvic.ca wrote: ----------------------------------------------------------------- Find the home of your dreams with eircom net property Sign up for email alerts now http://www.eircom.net/propertyalerts From slighcl at wfu.edu Mon Jul 21 10:30:41 2008 From: slighcl at wfu.edu (slighcl) Date: Mon, 21 Jul 2008 13:30:41 -0400 Subject: [ilds] Albert Cossery In-Reply-To: <200807211406.m6LE6l4K8192216@cascara.comp.uvic.ca> References: <200807211406.m6LE6l4K8192216@cascara.comp.uvic.ca> Message-ID: <4884C7C1.6020802@wfu.edu> More offerings here below. I would appreciate any other testimony from list members who have read or enjoyed Cossery's works. C&c. *** Albert Cossery Depuis 60 ans, l'?crivain ?gyptien vit dans un h?tel de Saint-Germain-des-Pr?s. Le "mendiant philosophe" de 92 ans a ?rig? la paresse en v?ritable art de vivre... http://thierryleblog.hautetfort.com/archive/2006/12/01/albert-cossery.html -- ********************** Charles L. Sligh Department of English Wake Forest University slighcl at wfu.edu ********************** From marcpiel at interdesign.fr Tue Jul 22 03:48:28 2008 From: marcpiel at interdesign.fr (Marc Piel) Date: Tue, 22 Jul 2008 12:48:28 +0200 Subject: [ilds] Albert Cossery In-Reply-To: <4884C7C1.6020802@wfu.edu> References: <200807211406.m6LE6l4K8192216@cascara.comp.uvic.ca> <4884C7C1.6020802@wfu.edu> Message-ID: <4885BAFC.30204@interdesign.fr> Hi Charles, The hotel has been famous for a long time thanks to it's literary guests. Here are a few little extracts. Best regards, Marc _____________________________ Parti faire fortune en Louisiane apr?s la d?b?cle de Waterloo, puis de retour ? Paris fort de sa r?ussite am?ricaine, un ancien grognard de Napol?on, d?cide de fonder une pension de famille : La Louisiane. Au cours des Ann?es Folles, puis apr?s la seconde guerre mondiale, l?h?tel est le lieu de rencontre des jazzmen les plus connus : Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Bud Powell, Chet Baker, Archi Sheef, ... comme des artistes amoureux de Saint-Germain-des-Pr?s comme Sartre, Juliette Gr?co ou Hemingway ... _______________________________ C?est un h?tel favori de beaucoup de clients du caf? de Flore, situ? ? deux pas. Simone de Beauvoir y habite entre 1943 et 1946. Elle dispose d?une chambre et d?une cuisine. Elle ?crit beaucoup et c?est l??poque du d?marrage des Temps modernes, avec Sartre (qui loge ? l?autre bout du couloir), Paulhan, Aron, Leiris, Merleau-Ponty et Albert Ollivers. De cet h?tel qui ne paie pas de mine, Beauvoir ?crit : "De ma fen?tre, je voyais un grand parterre de toits. Jamais aucun de mes abris ne s??tait tant approch? de mes r?ves ; j?envisageais d?y demeurer jusqu?? la fin de mes jours" (La force de l??ge). ___________________________________ http://www.liberation.fr/culture/334013.FR.php?mode=PRINTERFRIENDLY Cossery, la derni?re sieste Disparition. L??crivain ?gyptien est mort dans l?h?tel parisien o? il vivait depuis 1945. CHRISTOPHE AYAD QUOTIDIEN : lundi 23 juin 2008 Un jour qu?il croisait par hasard une ex - il y en eut beaucoup - sur le boulevard Saint-Germain, elle lui fit le r?cit de ses quarante derni?res ann?es : ?Trois enfants, deux divorces, quatre d?m?nagements. Et toi ?? ?Oh moi, rien n?a chang?, lui r?pondit Albert Cossery. Je fais toujours la sieste, sur le lit o? j??tais couch? quand tu m?as quitt?.? D?sormais, plus personne ne viendra troubler la sieste de monsieur Cossery, ni femmes, ni journalistes, ni ?diteurs, ni emmerdeurs. On l?a retrouv?, hier matin, sur son lit, dans sa chambre de l?h?tel la Louisiane, rue de Seine. Mort. Il avait 94 ans. Prince. Les copains sont partis depuis longtemps : Camus, Vian, Giacometti, Mouloudji, Mastroianni, Mitrani. De cette ?poque, seule reste la Greco. Et de ce Germain-des-Pr?s, il ne restait que Cossery. Un prince. Tous les jours, il sortait d?jeuner. Complet veston, cravate joyeuse, pochette discr?te, chaussures impeccables, parfum?, peign? ; le dernier Zazou. Apr?s Lipp ou le restaurant de l?Emporium Armani, qui a pris la place du Drugstore, il s?attablait au Flore, ? mater les filles. Qui le lui rendaient bien. Le week-end, pour ?chapper aux touristes et aux cons, il se r?fugiait au Chais de l?Abbaye. Une vie enti?re d?oisivet? cr?atrice et de loisirs, Il a fait mieux que Cioran. Surtout, il ?tait plus dr?le et moins pessimiste. Fils d?un rentier et d?une illettr?e, il a ?t? ?duqu? par les fr?res des ?coles chr?tiennes. Un premier recueil de nouvelles, les Hommes oubli?s de Dieu (1941), l?introduit dans les cercles litt?raires francophones du Caire : la fibre sociale y est ?tonnamment pr?sente, mais d?j? le sens de la d?rision. Henri Miller le remarque. Comme c?est ? Paris que ?a se passe, il s?y installe en 1945. D?j? ? la Louisiane. Les filles sont belles, l?h?tel pas cher et la f?te, permanente. Il reste, c?est tout. Il n?a jamais eu de plan de carri?re, ni d?autre ambition que de se tenir ? la hauteur de ce qu?il attendait de lui : de la classe et du d?tachement. Il avait compris que la propri?t?, c?est non seulement le vol, mais surtout la prison, l?esclavage de celui qui poss?de. Il a donc v?cu libre de la g?n?rosit? de ses amis et de quelques droits d?auteur. Cossery a publi? un recueil de nouvelles et sept romans en cinquante ans, comme quoi il n??tait pas si fain?ant que ?a (1). Chaque phrase ?tait travaill?e, polie, ouvrag?e le temps qu?il faut, jusqu?? ce qu?il en soit satisfait. Le souci principal d?Albert Cossery ?tait de donner ? entendre l?arabe ?gyptien dans la langue fran?aise. Cossery est un dr?le d??crivain, qui pensait en arabe mais ?crivait en fran?ais. L?Egypte ne l?a d?ailleurs jamais quitt?, ses fous, ses mystiques, ses marlous et ses mis?reux, qu?il avait eu le temps d?observer pendant les ann?es pass?es au Fishawi, le ?caf? aux miroirs? du Vieux-Caire qui servait de rep?re aux ?crivains ?gyptiens, dont Mahfouz. R?vasser. Le chef-d??uvre d?Albert Cossery reste Mendiants et Orgueilleux (1955), dont le titre est une parfaite d?finition des Egyptiens (2). Tout comme la Violence et la D?rision (1964) fut le meilleur manuel de s?dition politique. A force de ne rien faire d?autre que r?vasser et de se pr?server du vacarme du monde, Cossery ?tait travers? d??tranges pr?monitions. Les soixante-huitards auraient eu int?r?t ? lire la Violence et la D?rision et Saddam Hussein n?aurait rien perdu ? feuilleter Une Ambition dans le d?sert (1984), o? la guerre du Golfe est comme annonc?e. Encore e?t-il fallu qu?ils aient le sens de l?humour? Les ouvrages de Cossery ?taient devenus quasiment introuvables au d?but des ann?es 80. Jusqu?? ce qu?une jeune journaliste, Jo?lle Losfeld, interviewe l??crivain pour l?hebdomadaire Jeune Afrique. En 1986, elle h?rite de la maison d??dition de son p?re, le Terrain vague, qu?elle rebaptise par la suite de son nom ? elle. L?auteur vient de reprendre les droits de deux de ses romans. Elle le r??dite. Peu ? peu, elle r?cup?re tous ses livres, non sans mal, certaines grandes maisons pr?f?rant laisser le stock pourrir dans une cave, que de lui c?der les droits. En 2005, elle publie enfin ses ?uvres compl?tes en deux tomes et r??dite Conversation d?Albert Cossery de Michel Mitrani, qui reste la meilleure introduction qui soit ? sa vie et ? son ?uvre. Le travail de Losfeld remet Cossery ? l?honneur. Il est distingu? par l?Acad?mie fran?aise, le prix M?diterran?e et la Soci?t? des gens de lettres. Il y a dix ans, il avait perdu sa voix ? la suite d?une op?ration du larynx. Cela ne le g?nait pas plus que ?a. Et quand on ne parvenait pas ? comprendre ses chuintements, il attrapait un stylo pour ?crire ses r?ponses, toujours laconiques et cinglantes. Mais derri?re l?ironie, il ?tait tendre avec les amis de passage et les enfants. ?La vie est belle?, disait-il toujours dans un sifflement rauque. Ceux qui le connaissaient avaient fini par oublier qu?Albert Cossery pouvait mourir. Les autres n?ont pas eu la chance de savoir qu?il vivait encore. (1) Morsures, un recueil de po?mes, publi? en 1931 au Caire, est quasiment introuvable. L es Fain?ants dans la vall?e fertile a ?t? adapt? par l?auteur pour le th??tre. (2) Le dessinateur Golo en a fait une version BD. La r?alisatrice Asmaa al-Bakri l?a adapt? au cin?ma, ainsi que la Violence et la D?rision. http://www.liberation.fr/culture/334013.FR.php _________________________________ http://stephanevallet.noosblog.fr/journal_dun_inquiet/2008/06/litterature.html ALBERT COSSERY : LA DISPARITION DU PRINCE DE LA D?RISION Albert Cossery s'est ?teint ? 94 ans, au matin du 22 juin, ? Paris, dans l'h?tel La Louisiane, rue de Seine, o? il vivait depuis plus de soixante ans. Le locataire de la chambre 53 a travers? la vie avec l'ironie et le d?tachement d'un dandy. Fils d'un rentier et d'une m?re illettr?e, il est n? le 3 novembre 1913, au Caire. Il fut l'ami de Camus, de Genet, de Gr?co, de Vian, de Mouloudji, et d'Henry Miller, qui le d?couvrit, et dit de lui : "Il touche a des profondeurs du d?sespoir, de la d?ch?ance et de la r?signation que ni Gorki, ni Dosto?evski n'ont enregistr?s". Les livres d'Albert Cossery (il n'aimait pas qu'on les appelle des "romans") se d?roulent toujours dans les bas-fonds du Caire, au milieu des fous, des po?tes, et des mendiants, dans ces quartiers qui le ram?nent ? son enfance. Ses personnages, ? l'ironie mordante, rejettent la r?alit? des hommes et des tyrans. Ils cultivent avec art, d?nuement, paresse, et gout de la sensualit? et des femmes. J'ai rencontr? Albert Cossery, le 20 mars 1993, ? l'h?tel La Louisiane, dans un petit recoin, entre deux ?tages, ? l'occasion de la r??dition, par Jo?lle Losfeld de Mendiants et orgueilleux (1955), son livre majeur, et de La violence et la d?rision (1964). Il ne comprenait pas pourquoi je voulais l'interviewer : "Si vous avez lu mes livres, vous savez tout de moi". Albert Cossery : Mes livres, c'est moi... C'est ? dire que j'ai une id?e... Si vous m'avez lu, vous avez compris qu'il y a toujours la m?me ligne. Je ne suis pas un romancier. Je suis un ?crivain. Un romancier ?crit une histoire. Moi, je m'en fous de l'histoire. On dit : "Ah, quel beau portrait de femme!" Des choses comme ?a. Pas mon genre. Ce que j'?cris dans mes livres, c'est ce que je pense. Mes personnages ne sont pas invent?s. Pour la plupart, ce sont des gens que j'ai connu, et qui sont mes amis. Vos personnages sont tr?s r?volt?s. Comme vous? Je dis toujours : "Il faut faire sa propre r?volution, et ne pas attendre que l'on fasse la r?volution." Et notre propre r?volution est de nous extraire des contingences. Et de vivre votre vie comme vous l'aimez. C'est ?a, faire sa r?volution. Mes personnages sont en dehors. Ils se moquent de tout. C'est aussi tr?s m?diterran?en. En ?gypte, on ne respecte pas les feux rouges. Vous ne pouvez pas traverser au Caire. Les voitures passent comme des bombes... Et ?a explique que je suis un m?diterran?en. Et j'ai horreur que l'on me dise qu'il faut passer au vert, quand c'est vert. Tous vos livres ont pour cadre l'?gypte... Je suis un ?crivain ?gyptien qui ?crit en fran?ais, mais ce que j'?cris est universel. L'important, c'est l'?criture... C'est l'?criture. Et les personnages qui vont exprimer ce que je pense de ce monde. Quand avez-vous commenc? ? ?crire? D?s l'?ge de 10 ans. Parce qu'il n'y avait pas Doroth?e ? la t?l?. Et qu'il n'y avait pas de t?l?... A 10 ans, je lisais Dosto?evski. J'ai eu de la chance d'avoir un grand fr?re intellectuel. J'avais tous les classiques devant moi. Aujourd'hui, vous n'?crivez plus? J'?cris un livre pour un certain ?diteur qui m'a d?j? pay? avant que je n'?crive m?me une ligne. Et je ne suis pas press?, parce que l'on n'a pas toujours quelque chose ? dire. Mais on n'?crit pas forc?ment pour dire quelque chose? Pour moi, si! Un ?crivain ?crit pour dire quelque chose, un romancier pour raconter une histoire. Image_44329538_2 Vous avez rencontr? de grands intellectuels. Ces gens vous ont aid?? Personne ne m'a aid?. Depuis l'?ge de dix ans, je veux ?tre ?crivain, et pas autre chose. Vos lecteurs souvent sont tr?s jeunes. N'y a t-il pas une certaine na?vet? dans vos livres? Non. Les jeunes esp?rent encore de la vie. S'ils me lisent, ils peuvent changer ce que je dis. Vous savez, on me pose souvent la question chiante : "Pourquoi ?crivez-vous?" J'?cris pour toucher quelqu'un, c'est ? dire pour sauver des gens. Et ils ne peuvent que ?tre jeunes, en ce sens que, si l'on me lit, et qu'on est assez intelligent pour comprendre, on ne va plus au bureau le lendemain. Le bureau est un symbole. C'est ? dire changer l'aventure compl?tement. Lisez-vous la litt?rature actuelle? Non, je pense que depuis Jean Genet, il n'y a plus rien. Je parle des nouveaux, pas des anciens. Vous pensez vraiment qu'il n'y a plus d'?crivains aujourd'hui? Il y a des romanciers... Ils ?crivent une histoire : "un homme mari? rencontre une fille". ?a ne m'int?resse pas. Ils ?crivent leur propre vie. Ils n'ont connu qu'une femme ou deux, se sont mari?s ? vingt ans, et ont d?j? des enfants de trente ans. La plupart des jeunes sont comme ?a. Ils se marient avec la premi?re fille qu'ils trouvent. Tous les jeunes aujourd'hui sont "maqu?s"... Pour moi, l'id?e de rester avec une fille plus de trois heures - surtout ? leur ?ge- m'?tait insupportable! J'ai cru comprendre ?a en vous lisant... Oui, parce que je pouvais en rencontrer une autre. Je n'ai jamais ?t? l'homme d'une seule femme. Il y a des millions de femmes. Il faut un peu d'imagination. Avez-vous des amis ?crivains? Oui. Ils sont tous ? l'Acad?mie fran?aise, morts, ou bien mari?s. Tout cela est la m?me chose. 02 Vous avez ?t? l'ami d'Albert Camus. Avec lui, vous parliez de litt?rature? Je ne parlais jamais litt?rature. De quoi parliez-vous? De l'amiti?? Des femmes? Comme des gens simples, qui s'amusent dans la vie. C'est tout. Il ?tait n?, lui aussi, dans un pays d'Orient. On avait le m?me amour de la vie, et des jolies filles. Et avec Henri Miller, vous fr?quentiez les bordels? Non. Ce n'?tait pas mon ?poque. J'?tais trop jeune. Je vous pose cette question, parce que dans vos livres, il y a beaucoup de sensualit?, et aussi des personnages de jeunes prostitu?es... Cela fait parti du monde. En ?gypte, il y avait un grand quartier de prostitu?es. On pouvait y aller avec des femmes qui regardent. C'?tait un endroit o? il y avait de tout... Vous savez, avant guerre, il y avait des bordels partout. On allait au bordel pour boire du champagne. De jolies filles, on en trouvait partout! Alors, vous vous saouliez? Je ne saoule pas. Je ne me suis jamais saoul?. Et les drogues? Cela revient dans vos livres... Cela revient dans mes livres, parce que c'est l'?gypte... Si c'?tait un am?ricain, il boirait du whisky. L'?gyptien, il fume du hach, mais pas de drogue... Vous vivez depuis 1945 ? Saint-Germain-des-Pr?s. Qu'est-ce qui vous attache ? ce quartier? C'?tait autre chose que ce que vous voyez actuellement. Maintenant, c'est le quartier du pr?t ? porter. Je viens de rigoler un peu en lisant "Le Monde" sur la crise du pr?t ? porter : "Les collections d'hiver ont r?v?l? le malaise du pr?t ? porter f?minin." Est-ce qu'on peu imaginer une chose pareille? Le malaise du pr?t ? porter en premi?re page... Mais ce n'est pas croyable! Vous savez, il y a un consensus de la m?diocrit? et de la b?tise. Tout le monde pense la m?me chose. Ils font des d?bats ? la t?l?vision, et ils disent tous la m?me chose. Alors, pourquoi faire des d?bats? Vous int?ressez-vous ? la vie politique en France? Je m'int?resse ? tout, mais avec d?rision, et non pas parce que je veux que celui-l? gagne, ou tel autre... Je suis ?gyptien, moi! Je suis un ?tranger ? Paris. Et vous souhaitez toujours le rester? Mais certainement. Je ne suis pas venu pour trouver du travail. J'?cris en fran?ais pour des raisons dues au hasard, parce que mon p?re a ?t? envoy? chez les j?suites... Moi, j'ai ?t? chez les fr?res, ensuite au lyc?e fran?ais. Et ? cette ?poque, c'?taient la philosophie et la litt?rature qui ?taient signe d'intelligence, et non pas le Minitel. Jusqu'? maintenant, je ne sais pas ce que c'est... J'entends parler du Minitel, mais je ne sais pas ce que c'est... Vous ne vous en ?tes jamais servi? Mais je n'ai jamais vu de Minitel! J'?cris avec un crayon. Cossery6 En 1990, vous avez re?u le Grand Prix de la Francophonie pour l'ensemble de votre ?uvre... La francophonie, c'est parce que je suis ?gyptien. C'est un prix honorifique et politique, pas litt?raire! Ils n'ont trouv? que moi, et comme il faut donner le prix chaque ann?e... Vous ?tes si s?v?re avec vous m?me? Non. Ce n'est pas une question de s?v?rit?. Tous les prix sont fait comme ?a, de toute fa?on. Si on vous proposez le Nobel, vous le refuseriez? Je n'irais pas le chercher, mais j'accepterais le ch?que. Je n'irais pas me mettre en habit pour ?a. D'ailleurs, l'?crivain ?gyptien (1) qui l'a obtenu, n'a pas ?t? le chercher. Il a envoy? son domestique. Il ne s'agit pas de refuser l'argent. Cela serait compl?tement stupide. Vous accordez peu d'interview. Vous n'aimez pas la presse? Je ne les lis m?me pas. On me dit : "Tiens, un article est paru..." Je n'ach?te que "Le Monde", parce qu'il sort en dernier. Moi, je sais lire un journal. La plupart des gens croient tout ce qu'on leur dit. Et c'est la d?sinformation la plus compl?te. Pour vous, la r?alit? ce sont les livres? Je le dis dans "Mendiant et orgueilleux". Il y a la r?alit?, c'est ? dire l'imposture sur laquelle le monde vit (une imposture totale!), et il y a notre propre r?alit?. Pour cela, il ne s'agit pas de sortir de l'ENA. Il s'agit de comprendre. L'intelligence, pour moi, c'est quelqu'un qui a compris. C'est pourquoi tous mes personnages rejettent la r?alit? des hommes et des tyrans. Ils ont leur propre r?alit?. La vie est tr?s simple. Ce sont les gens qui en ont peur, et qui compliquent tout. Moi, j'habite ? l'h?tel pour justement ne pas me compliquer la vie. Quels conseils donneriez-vous ? un jeune ?crivain? Je ne suis pas un donneur de conseils. C'est pour cela que ?a me semble toujours dr?le que l'on cherche ? m'interviewer, si l'on a lu mes livres. Chaque phrase de mes livres sort de moi, et non pas pour raconter... La vie d'un ?crivain aussi peut ?tre int?ressante... Mais ?a, c'est ma vie! C'est pour ?a que je ne poss?de pas de voiture, que je n'ai pas de carnet de ch?ques, et surtout pas de cartes. Je n'ai rien du tout. Autrefois, il y a encore vingt ou trente ans, on n'avait pas besoin de me voir. Il y avait de vrais critiques. A ce moment l?, "Le Monde" ?tait un vrai journal. Il y avait ? sa t?te un Monsieur qui s'appelait Hubert Beuve-M?ry... Aujourd'hui, personne ne sait faire de critiques. Alors on raconte ma vie. On dit, voil?, il va au Flore... On passe ? c?t? de quelque chose? On est au plus bas. C'est pour cela qu'il faut de temps en temps regarder la t?l?, pour voir ? quel point. Si vous ne regardez pas la t?l?, vous ne savez pas... Alors vous regardez beaucoup Doroth?e? Non, mais je sais ce que c'est. Toute une g?n?ration va ?tre d?bile. A l'?ge de ces enfants, je lisais d?j? des classiques. Il y a tout de m?me des gens qui lisent aujourd'hui... Il y a certainement toujours des gens biens, n'importe o?, m?me en Am?rique! Notre ?poque n'est pas faite que de m?diocrit?? Elle est faite de m?diocrit? en g?n?ral, et il y a des gens biens qui sont isol?s. Les jeunes qui viennent me voir, je n'ai pas eu leur isolement. A Saint-Germain-des-Pr?s, et ? Montparnasse, je rencontrais tous les grands esprits. Pas besoin d'aller voir quelqu'un. Je les rencontrais chaque soir dans les bars, les boites de nuit, les caves. Toutes les nuits. Et chaque soir... Je n'ai pas dit qu'il n'y avait plus aucun esprit. Il faut ?tre honn?te, mais ils sont en dehors de tout. Ils sont rejet?s. Et vous, ne vivez-vous pas rempli? sur vous m?me? Non. Je fr?quente les gens qui me font plaisir. Et certainement de moins en moins, mais ? mon ?ge... Vous savez Philippe Soupault disait : "Quand on est jeune, c'est pour la vie"... Je veux dire qu'? mon ?ge, j'ai vu tant de choses que je peux me le permettre, mais si j'avais vingt ans aujourd'hui, ?a serait horrible... Si j'avais vingt ans, et le m?me esprit que j'avais ? vingt ans... Vous consid?rez-vous comme un anarchiste? Je suis un anarchiste pacifique, c'est ? dire que je n'ai rien ? voir avec ce monde. Mais il y a des gens formidables dans ce monde... Il s'agit de les rencontrer. Propos recueillis par St?phane Vallet. De larges extraits de cet entretien ont d?j? ?t? publi?s, sous une autre forme, dans feu le quotidien "Le Jour" (2 avril 1993). (1) Naguib Mahfouz laur?at du Nobel de litt?rature en 1988. Lire aussi Entretien posthume avec un dandy par Jean-Luc Bitton slighcl a ?crit : > More offerings here below. > > I would appreciate any other testimony from list members who have read > or enjoyed Cossery's works. > > C&c. > > *** > Albert Cossery > > Depuis 60 ans, l'?crivain ?gyptien vit dans un h?tel de > Saint-Germain-des-Pr?s. Le "mendiant philosophe" de 92 ans a ?rig? la > paresse en v?ritable art de vivre... > http://thierryleblog.hautetfort.com/archive/2006/12/01/albert-cossery.html > > -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: LOUISIAN2.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 28272 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://lists.uvic.ca/pipermail/ilds/attachments/20080722/5efb155a/attachment.jpg From slighcl at wfu.edu Tue Jul 22 09:17:10 2008 From: slighcl at wfu.edu (slighcl) Date: Tue, 22 Jul 2008 12:17:10 -0400 Subject: [ilds] Lawrence Durrell: "a virtuoso conjurer of the spirit of place" In-Reply-To: <4884C7C1.6020802@wfu.edu> References: <200807211406.m6LE6l4K8192216@cascara.comp.uvic.ca> <4884C7C1.6020802@wfu.edu> Message-ID: <48860806.5090105@wfu.edu> http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2008/jun/12/jan.morris *Influences* Morris believes strongly that travel writers should seek to portray the spirit of their destination as much as its bare bones. Consequently her writing has been influenced as much by novelists as by fellow travellers and is littered with quotes, references and allusions. She calls Lawrence Durrell "a virtuoso conjurer of the spirit of place" and also admires evocations of cityscapes penned by Joseph Conrad, Dickens and Dostoevsky. As a travel writer, Morris gives hints of Flaubert, Rebecca West, John Ruskin, Freya Stark and Anthony Trollope, while Pax Britannica echoes Edward Gibbon as it follows the crumbling of an imperial edifice. -- ********************** Charles L. Sligh Department of English Wake Forest University slighcl at wfu.edu ********************** -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.uvic.ca/pipermail/ilds/attachments/20080722/a0d972fc/attachment.html From bredwine1968 at earthlink.net Tue Jul 22 16:00:10 2008 From: bredwine1968 at earthlink.net (Bruce Redwine) Date: Tue, 22 Jul 2008 16:00:10 -0700 (GMT-07:00) Subject: [ilds] Spirits of Place Message-ID: <32734325.1216767611188.JavaMail.root@elwamui-sweet.atl.sa.earthlink.net> I haven't read Jan Morris, but offhand I don't see how Conrad's London nor Dickens's, nor Dostoevsky's Leningrad have much resemblance to Durrell's Alexandria. None of those "cityscapes" come across, to me at least, as being "beloved," just the opposite in fact. I recall the evocations as nightmarish. Bruce -----Original Message----- >From: slighcl >Sent: Jul 22, 2008 9:17 AM >To: ilds at lists.uvic.ca >Subject: [ilds] Lawrence Durrell: "a virtuoso conjurer of the spirit of place" > >http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2008/jun/12/jan.morris > >*Influences* > >Morris believes strongly that travel writers should seek to portray the >spirit of their destination as much as its bare bones. Consequently her >writing has been influenced as much by novelists as by fellow travellers >and is littered with quotes, references and allusions. She calls >Lawrence Durrell "a virtuoso conjurer of the spirit of place" and also >admires evocations of cityscapes penned by Joseph Conrad, Dickens and >Dostoevsky. > >As a travel writer, Morris gives hints of Flaubert, Rebecca West, John >Ruskin, Freya Stark and Anthony Trollope, while Pax Britannica echoes >Edward Gibbon as it follows the crumbling of an imperial edifice. From bredwine1968 at earthlink.net Tue Jul 22 16:33:41 2008 From: bredwine1968 at earthlink.net (Bruce Redwine) Date: Tue, 22 Jul 2008 16:33:41 -0700 Subject: [ilds] Spirits of Place In-Reply-To: <4886697D.5070109@wfu.edu> References: <32734325.1216767611188.JavaMail.root@elwamui-sweet.atl.sa.earthlink.net> <4886697D.5070109@wfu.edu> Message-ID: <795C8CEB-E9F0-44CD-9379-9250E638AB40@earthlink.net> Of course I trust you, Charles, always, implicitly and now explicitly. I just don't see Morris's basis of comparison and see a qualitative difference in what Durrell does with a place and what Conrad, Dickens, and Dostoevsky do. Durrell is a Romantic, but the others are largely not (although Conrad often is when in SE Asia but not London, I think). Bruce On Jul 22, 2008, at 4:13 PM, slighcl wrote: > Trust me on Jan Morris, Bruce. She/He is sterling. After serving > as a British Intelligence officer in Italy and the Levant, he > followed Edmund Hillary as a journalist up to the top. Then all of > the brilliant books on travel, plus the Pax Britanica trilogy, the > best first books to read on the ins and outs and rights and wrongs > of Empire. > > I was turned on to Morris at 14 or 15, at the very same time I took > up with Durrell. > > http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/documentaries/profile/profile_jan_morris.shtml > > Charles > > *** > > On 7/22/2008 7:00 PM, Bruce Redwine wrote: >> >> I haven't read Jan Morris, but offhand I don't see how Conrad's >> London nor Dickens's, nor Dostoevsky's Leningrad have much >> resemblance to Durrell's Alexandria. None of those "cityscapes" >> come across, to me at least, as being "beloved," just the opposite >> in fact. I recall the evocations as nightmarish. >> >> Bruce >> >> -----Original Message----- >> >>> From: slighcl >>> Sent: Jul 22, 2008 9:17 AM >>> To: ilds at lists.uvic.ca >>> Subject: [ilds] Lawrence Durrell: "a virtuoso conjurer of the >>> spirit of place" >>> >>> http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2008/jun/12/jan.morris >>> >>> *Influences* >>> >>> Morris believes strongly that travel writers should seek to >>> portray the >>> spirit of their destination as much as its bare bones. >>> Consequently her >>> writing has been influenced as much by novelists as by fellow >>> travellers >>> and is littered with quotes, references and allusions. She calls >>> Lawrence Durrell "a virtuoso conjurer of the spirit of place" and >>> also >>> admires evocations of cityscapes penned by Joseph Conrad, Dickens >>> and >>> Dostoevsky. >>> >>> As a travel writer, Morris gives hints of Flaubert, Rebecca West, >>> John >>> Ruskin, Freya Stark and Anthony Trollope, while Pax Britannica >>> echoes >>> Edward Gibbon as it follows the crumbling of an imperial edifice. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.uvic.ca/pipermail/ilds/attachments/20080722/74a2d262/attachment.html From slighcl at wfu.edu Tue Jul 22 18:19:22 2008 From: slighcl at wfu.edu (slighcl) Date: Tue, 22 Jul 2008 21:19:22 -0400 Subject: [ilds] Spirits of Place In-Reply-To: <795C8CEB-E9F0-44CD-9379-9250E638AB40@earthlink.net> References: <32734325.1216767611188.JavaMail.root@elwamui-sweet.atl.sa.earthlink.net> <4886697D.5070109@wfu.edu> <795C8CEB-E9F0-44CD-9379-9250E638AB40@earthlink.net> Message-ID: <4886871A.9070208@wfu.edu> On 7/22/2008 7:33 PM, Bruce Redwine wrote: > I just don't see Morris's basis of comparison and see a qualitative > difference in what Durrell does with a place and what Conrad, Dickens, > and Dostoevsky do. Durrell is a Romantic, but the others are largely > not (although Conrad often is when in SE Asia but not London, I think). >>> I haven't read Jan Morris, but offhand I don't see how Conrad's London nor Dickens's, nor Dostoevsky's Leningrad have much resemblance to Durrell's Alexandria. But I really do not think that Morris's point is to claim "resemblance," equivalence, sympathy, or even analogy between these very different writers. Instead, I think that Morris is merely sorting out her own aesthetic preferences--her desert island list of much "admired" city-writers: > She calls Lawrence Durrell "a virtuoso conjurer of the spirit > of place" and also admires evocations of cityscapes penned by > Joseph Conrad, Dickens and Dostoevsky. That qualification aside, your point about the difference between the cityscapes of Durrell and Dickens and Conrad is certainly valid. Giving Durrell place of preference by means of top billing and a quoted statement counts a great deal in the highly compressed context of UK Books Pages and sound-bite journalism. The papers today waste precious little space on recollecting or attending to Durrell. Hats off to the Old Girl and to folks like Gore Vidal for rallying to Durrell's forgotten standard I am always pleased when a much-read and lionized author of the current moment is unafraid to recall and praise a great precursor who has increasingly fallen into neglect. And that sort of recollection in a time of hard luck is a very Durrellian sort of tack. Although Durrell is of a different magnitude than his bohemian "king" and dipsobibliomaniac, Johnny Gawsworth, I still am brightened when I watch and listen to Durrell and Alan Thomas raises their glasses to the much fallen Gawsworth on the video. And I think that some of Durrell's thoughtful pauses as he reflects upon the vagaries of literary fame and fortune are significant. http://www.britishfantasysociety.org/news/?p=50 Rallying to the grand old cause once more. . . . Charles -- ********************** Charles L. Sligh Department of English Wake Forest University slighcl at wfu.edu ********************** -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.uvic.ca/pipermail/ilds/attachments/20080722/1a4d27f1/attachment.html From bredwine1968 at earthlink.net Tue Jul 22 18:46:23 2008 From: bredwine1968 at earthlink.net (Bruce Redwine) Date: Tue, 22 Jul 2008 18:46:23 -0700 Subject: [ilds] Spirits of Place In-Reply-To: <4886871A.9070208@wfu.edu> References: <32734325.1216767611188.JavaMail.root@elwamui-sweet.atl.sa.earthlink.net> <4886697D.5070109@wfu.edu> <795C8CEB-E9F0-44CD-9379-9250E638AB40@earthlink.net> <4886871A.9070208@wfu.edu> Message-ID: <23902A2A-24AA-4B4B-A229-282146F1428F@earthlink.net> Hate to be argumentative, Charles, but if Morris's point is not to claim "'resemblance,' equivalence, sympathy, or even analogy between these very different writers," what's the point of lumping all these very different writers together? Durrell seems to find some "spirit" in a place, whether or not that is true, and I would tend to argue it is not. These other writers are closer to being expressionist and use a landscape or "cityscape" as backdrops for some message. Bruce On Jul 22, 2008, at 6:19 PM, slighcl wrote: > On 7/22/2008 7:33 PM, Bruce Redwine wrote: >> >> I just don't see Morris's basis of comparison and see a >> qualitative difference in what Durrell does with a place and what >> Conrad, Dickens, and Dostoevsky do. Durrell is a Romantic, but the >> others are largely not (although Conrad often is when in SE Asia >> but not London, I think). > >>>> I haven't read Jan Morris, but offhand I don't see how Conrad's >>>> London nor Dickens's, nor Dostoevsky's Leningrad have much >>>> resemblance to Durrell's Alexandria. > > But I really do not think that Morris's point is to claim > "resemblance," equivalence, sympathy, or even analogy between these > very different writers. > > Instead, I think that Morris is merely sorting out her own aesthetic > preferences--her desert island list of much "admired" city-writers: >> She calls Lawrence Durrell "a virtuoso conjurer of the spirit of >> place" and also admires evocations of cityscapes penned by Joseph >> Conrad, Dickens and Dostoevsky. From odos.fanourios at gmail.com Wed Jul 23 10:02:17 2008 From: odos.fanourios at gmail.com (James Gifford) Date: Wed, 23 Jul 2008 11:02:17 -0600 Subject: [ilds] Spirits of Place In-Reply-To: <23902A2A-24AA-4B4B-A229-282146F1428F@earthlink.net> References: <32734325.1216767611188.JavaMail.root@elwamui-sweet.atl.sa.earthlink.net> <4886697D.5070109@wfu.edu> <795C8CEB-E9F0-44CD-9379-9250E638AB40@earthlink.net> <4886871A.9070208@wfu.edu> <23902A2A-24AA-4B4B-A229-282146F1428F@earthlink.net> Message-ID: <48876419.1090305@gmail.com> Hi Bruce, Just a minor note (apart from adding that Jan was exceptionally articular and kind at the Durrell School of Corfu this summer -- a marvellous public speaker). You comment: > if Morris's point is not to claim "'resemblance,' > equivalence, sympathy, or even analogy between > these very different writers," what's the point > of lumping all these very different writers > together? I think this is actually answered in the original text. Under the heading of "Influences" the reporter (whoever he or she is) has written "She calls Lawrence Durrell 'a virtuoso conjurer of the spirit of place' and also admires evocations of cityscapes penned by Joseph Conrad, Dickens and Dostoevsky." To my mind, that "also admires" denotes exactly that: also. I like miso paste as a marinate for salmon and I also like Telemann's recorder concertos -- that hardly means I think they're the same thing. Morris clearly likes Durrell's evocations of Place (or "inventions" of place if you prefer), and she also likes how Dostoevsky, Dickens, and Conrad describe city locales as well. Those are her admitted influences. A better question, though, are her unadmitted influences... But, on a more exciting note, I would disagree with one other comment you imply, but I do think both options are available as viable readings: > Durrell seems to find some "spirit" in a place, > whether or not that is true, and I would tend to > argue it is not. These other writers are closer > to being expressionist and use a landscape or > "cityscape" as backdrops for some message. I would argue very strongly that Durrell uses the cityscape in order to communicate his message, much of which I see playing out in the tension between the rural and the urban. He certainly has a very different message from Conrad, Dickens, and Dostoevsky, but all of them use the city for part of their argument. You're quite right, though, to note the expressionist difference. As for the place's "spirit," I think we need to see this as yet another of Durrell's "strong readings" of D.H. Lawrence, after which the nature of that spirit and his revision of it is, to me at least, more sensible. Best, James ____________________________________ James Gifford Department of English Mount Royal College 4825 Mount Royal Gate SW Calgary, Alberta, T3E 6K6 http://members.shaw.ca/james.gifford From odos.fanourios at gmail.com Wed Jul 23 10:16:00 2008 From: odos.fanourios at gmail.com (James Gifford) Date: Wed, 23 Jul 2008 11:16:00 -0600 Subject: [ilds] Spirits of Place In-Reply-To: <23902A2A-24AA-4B4B-A229-282146F1428F@earthlink.net> References: <32734325.1216767611188.JavaMail.root@elwamui-sweet.atl.sa.earthlink.net> <4886697D.5070109@wfu.edu> <795C8CEB-E9F0-44CD-9379-9250E638AB40@earthlink.net> <4886871A.9070208@wfu.edu> <23902A2A-24AA-4B4B-A229-282146F1428F@earthlink.net> Message-ID: <48876750.5050506@gmail.com> BTW, just for fun, the Durrell-Dickens paper has yet to be written, but for Conrad and Dostoevsky you can see: Mulvihill, James. "Conrad's Accountant and Durrell's Tunc." /Notes on Contemporary Literature/ 30.3 (2000): 11-12. Bloshteyn, Maria R. /The Making of a Counter-Culture Icon: Henry Miller's Dostoevsky/. Toronto: U Toronto P, 2007. (originally her dissertation, "The Pornographers and the Prophet: Henry Miller, Anais Nin, and Lawrence Durrell") Cheers, James Bruce Redwine wrote: > Hate to be argumentative, Charles, but if Morris's point is not to > claim "'resemblance,' equivalence, sympathy, or even analogy between > these very different writers," what's the point of lumping all these > very different writers together? Durrell seems to find some "spirit" > in a place, whether or not that is true, and I would tend to argue it > is not. These other writers are closer to being expressionist and use > a landscape or "cityscape" as backdrops for some message. > > Bruce From bredwine1968 at earthlink.net Wed Jul 23 11:21:13 2008 From: bredwine1968 at earthlink.net (Bruce Redwine) Date: Wed, 23 Jul 2008 11:21:13 -0700 Subject: [ilds] Spirits of Place In-Reply-To: <48876419.1090305@gmail.com> References: <32734325.1216767611188.JavaMail.root@elwamui-sweet.atl.sa.earthlink.net> <4886697D.5070109@wfu.edu> <795C8CEB-E9F0-44CD-9379-9250E638AB40@earthlink.net> <4886871A.9070208@wfu.edu> <23902A2A-24AA-4B4B-A229-282146F1428F@earthlink.net> <48876419.1090305@gmail.com> Message-ID: <318CE02A-FB80-4657-BFE5-CECF0543C431@earthlink.net> James, I think we largely agree. We can all admire different writers, styles, outlooks, etc. My eyebrows raised when Charles wrote that Morris "admires evocations of cityscapes penned by Joseph Conrad, Dickens and Dostoevsky." The use of "evocations" bothers me, which is probably Charles's word and not Morris's. For me anyway, Durrell evokes but Conrad, Dickens, and Dostoevsky don't. Those three are engaged in another program, which, to my mind, has little to do with the sensuous apprehension of an experience ? which is my sense of "evocation" and Durrell's too, I think ? hence, Durrell's use of "beloved Alexandria" ? rather they're out to paint a rather terrifying vision of the modern industrial city, be it the London of The Secret Agent and Bleak House or the Saint Petersburg of Crime and Punishment. It's not a big step from them to Kafka's Prague, and from there to Ridley Scott's LA of 2019 in Blade Runner. It may be that Durrell has fallen into disfavor, just as the modern urban environment has, and it seems important to me to mark that difference. Bruce On Jul 23, 2008, at 10:02 AM, James Gifford wrote: > Hi Bruce, > > Just a minor note (apart from adding that Jan was exceptionally > articular and kind at the Durrell School of Corfu this summer -- a > marvellous public speaker). You comment: > >> if Morris's point is not to claim "'resemblance,' >> equivalence, sympathy, or even analogy between >> these very different writers," what's the point >> of lumping all these very different writers >> together? > > I think this is actually answered in the original text. Under the > heading of "Influences" the reporter (whoever he or she is) has > written > "She calls Lawrence Durrell 'a virtuoso conjurer of the spirit of > place' > and also admires evocations of cityscapes penned by Joseph Conrad, > Dickens and Dostoevsky." To my mind, that "also admires" denotes > exactly that: also. I like miso paste as a marinate for salmon and I > also like Telemann's recorder concertos -- that hardly means I think > they're the same thing. Morris clearly likes Durrell's evocations of > Place (or "inventions" of place if you prefer), and she also likes how > Dostoevsky, Dickens, and Conrad describe city locales as well. Those > are her admitted influences. A better question, though, are her > unadmitted influences... > > But, on a more exciting note, I would disagree with one other comment > you imply, but I do think both options are available as viable > readings: > >> Durrell seems to find some "spirit" in a place, >> whether or not that is true, and I would tend to >> argue it is not. These other writers are closer >> to being expressionist and use a landscape or >> "cityscape" as backdrops for some message. > > I would argue very strongly that Durrell uses the cityscape in order > to > communicate his message, much of which I see playing out in the > tension > between the rural and the urban. He certainly has a very different > message from Conrad, Dickens, and Dostoevsky, but all of them use the > city for part of their argument. You're quite right, though, to note > the expressionist difference. As for the place's "spirit," I think we > need to see this as yet another of Durrell's "strong readings" of D.H. > Lawrence, after which the nature of that spirit and his revision of it > is, to me at least, more sensible. > > Best, > James > ____________________________________ > James Gifford > Department of English > Mount Royal College > 4825 Mount Royal Gate SW > Calgary, Alberta, T3E 6K6 > http://members.shaw.ca/james.gifford > From odos.fanourios at gmail.com Wed Jul 23 11:51:32 2008 From: odos.fanourios at gmail.com (James Gifford) Date: Wed, 23 Jul 2008 12:51:32 -0600 Subject: [ilds] Spirits of Place -- the city In-Reply-To: <318CE02A-FB80-4657-BFE5-CECF0543C431@earthlink.net> References: <32734325.1216767611188.JavaMail.root@elwamui-sweet.atl.sa.earthlink.net> <4886697D.5070109@wfu.edu> <795C8CEB-E9F0-44CD-9379-9250E638AB40@earthlink.net> <4886871A.9070208@wfu.edu> <23902A2A-24AA-4B4B-A229-282146F1428F@earthlink.net> <48876419.1090305@gmail.com> <318CE02A-FB80-4657-BFE5-CECF0543C431@earthlink.net> Message-ID: <48877DB4.7080506@gmail.com> Hi Bruce, Not to quibble, but I think you've put your finger on the pulse of our point of disagreement. But, at least this time we seem to have complete agreement on the terms of our disagreement! You note: > Those three are engaged in another program, > which, to my mind, has little to do with the > sensuous apprehension of an experience ? > which is my sense of "evocation" and Durrell's > too, I think ? hence, Durrell's use of > "beloved Alexandria" ? rather they're out to > paint a rather terrifying vision of the modern > industrial city, be it the London of The Secret > Agent and Bleak House or the Saint Petersburg > of Crime and Punishment. It's not a big step > from them to Kafka's Prague, and from there to > Ridley Scott's LA of 2019 in Blade Runner. I think you're dead right for Dostoevsky and Conrad, though perhaps Dickens is distinct here in some ways, though certainly "on the same tram" -- I agree as well about this direct line to Kafka and Scott. Where I disagree is removing Durrell from that scene. He's far more figurative in his images of the city, but I don't think cityscapes are ever purely "lovely" in Durrell and certainly never generously "beloved" (though certainly obsessively loved). After all, in those opening epigraphs to /Justine/, I read the rural as the space for "talk" and the urban as the space for Sadean jouissance. The city lives the people only to drive them to destruction -- the only people who get better flee. Those who stay become ill, symptomatic, and on a course for destruction, blindness, and disfigurement. That said, "sensuous apprehension" is certainly a point of difference between Durrell and those three. I just don't see "sensuous apprehension" as an endorsement. Flames are certainly lovely but equally horrifying, just like Justine, and just like Alexandria... Durrell's cities are nightmares, whether Arab or English, yet they are beautiful and enchanting as well, and they clearly inspire various forms of love. If we read Durrell via someone like Mumford, who cites Durrell, how do we see the urban/rural tension? People on Darley's island reflect, heal, love, and care -- those in the city consume, destroy, and can only lead themselves to the harbour scene at the opening of Clea (albeit with love still there, but in an obsessive form). This is also why I quibble over Egyptian distaste for Durrell's poor portrait of their city -- he paints Alexandria as destructive, but welcome to the club! He does the same for London, Istanbul, and all centres of urban power. Like Darley, Lawrence Lucifer in /The Black Book/ only survives by leaving London for Corfu, yet another island escape akin to Darley's. As for Ridley Scott, I'd be inclined to look to /Tunc/ and /Nunquam/ as comparable works, and the city is horrific in both -- the city is where humanity dies, and the country is where it heals. Why else would the first version of "Bladerunner" end with the flight to the rural, while the others leave us trapped in the nightmarish urban -- no happy ending would be possible in the urban... (Scott's various "authorships" aside) I might add, what city did Durrell choose to live in? Where did he find fodder for his art? As near as I can tell, he fled cities as quickly as possible throughout his life, choosing to enter them sporadically rather than reside in them. But, this may be a major interpretive difference between us, and I think the majority of the past scholarship would be on your side. Still, I can't make that reading sensible as I move through Durrell's texts... [Plugs] --> /Panic Spring/ strikes as fairly overt in showing a retreat from the urban to the rural, and escape from large-scale human culture to the village, a movement from capital to collaboration, etc... The same happens in /Pied Piper of Lovers/ when Walsh is sent from rural India to urban London, then fleeing to the country. But, at heart, I suppose I'm saying I don't buy Durrell as a lover of cities, as he's most often portrayed. Cities are indeed his subject, but they have shadows that dominate them, even in the sunny parts of the world. Then again, I also read his works as ironic, and irony resides in the reader rather than the text, so... Best, James (self-confessed urbanite) pa: I've long-considered but never began a comparison of /Revolt of Aphrodite/ and "Bladerunner." The role of the android in that and Mordecai Richler's /Crazy Cock/ strike me as ripe for comparison... Anyone? Bruce Redwine wrote: > James, > > I think we largely agree. We can all admire different writers, > styles, outlooks, etc. My eyebrows raised when Charles wrote that > Morris "admires evocations of cityscapes penned by Joseph Conrad, > Dickens and Dostoevsky." The use of "evocations" bothers me, which is > probably Charles's word and not Morris's. For me anyway, Durrell > evokes but Conrad, Dickens, and Dostoevsky don't. Those three are > engaged in another program, which, to my mind, has little to do with > the sensuous apprehension of an experience ? which is my sense of > "evocation" and Durrell's too, I think ? hence, Durrell's use of > "beloved Alexandria" ? rather they're out to paint a rather terrifying > vision of the modern industrial city, be it the London of The Secret > Agent and Bleak House or the Saint Petersburg of Crime and > Punishment. It's not a big step from them to Kafka's Prague, and from > there to Ridley Scott's LA of 2019 in Blade Runner. It may be that > Durrell has fallen into disfavor, just as the modern urban environment > has, and it seems important to me to mark that difference. > > > Bruce From bredwine1968 at earthlink.net Wed Jul 23 19:41:42 2008 From: bredwine1968 at earthlink.net (Bruce Redwine) Date: Wed, 23 Jul 2008 19:41:42 -0700 Subject: [ilds] Spirits of Place -- the city In-Reply-To: <48877DB4.7080506@gmail.com> References: <32734325.1216767611188.JavaMail.root@elwamui-sweet.atl.sa.earthlink.net> <4886697D.5070109@wfu.edu> <795C8CEB-E9F0-44CD-9379-9250E638AB40@earthlink.net> <4886871A.9070208@wfu.edu> <23902A2A-24AA-4B4B-A229-282146F1428F@earthlink.net> <48876419.1090305@gmail.com> <318CE02A-FB80-4657-BFE5-CECF0543C431@earthlink.net> <48877DB4.7080506@gmail.com> Message-ID: <38C85EF3-4366-4FE9-8663-D3D4F3F3BA94@earthlink.net> James, When one reads Durrell's letters to Miller, during the period in Egypt, one gets the distinct impression that he hated Egypt. And I think there's little doubt that he did ? then ? before he went to work on it with his notorious "mind's eye." When one reads "Loeb's Horace," one sees Durrell posing as a narrator who faults the Latin poet for various peccadilloes, such as removing himself from society and taking refuge on his Sabine farm. When one sees the pattern of Durrell's life, one notes, as you have, that he preferred to live on his own versions of a Sabine farm, namely Greek islands and various villas. Durrell and Horace are really quite similar. Maybe Durrell hated himself. When one reads the Alexandria Quartet, one sees the squalor and depravity of a city, but it is also one where "flies and beggars own it today ? and those who enjoy an intermediate existence between either." I would stress the word "enjoy" in that description. Many Egyptians fault Durrell for an unfair, grubby caricature of their country. Many critics fault Durrell for a romanticized portrait of that same place. I see a contradiction here. Durrell is both real and unreal, depending on one's persuasion. I don't know if Durrell ever intended to describe his cities as "nightmares," but, if he did, he was constantly being defeated by his own genius and the use of language. I guess my point is simple. Durrell is at heart a Romantic, no matter how cerebral he tries to be, and the Romantics just loved contradictions and delighted in the imagination, where they could "enjoy" that "intermediate existence." Bruce On Jul 23, 2008, at 11:51 AM, James Gifford wrote: > Hi Bruce, > > Not to quibble, but I think you've put your finger on the pulse of our > point of disagreement. But, at least this time we seem to have > complete > agreement on the terms of our disagreement! You note: > >> Those three are engaged in another program, >> which, to my mind, has little to do with the >> sensuous apprehension of an experience ? >> which is my sense of "evocation" and Durrell's >> too, I think ? hence, Durrell's use of >> "beloved Alexandria" ? rather they're out to >> paint a rather terrifying vision of the modern >> industrial city, be it the London of The Secret >> Agent and Bleak House or the Saint Petersburg >> of Crime and Punishment. It's not a big step >> from them to Kafka's Prague, and from there to >> Ridley Scott's LA of 2019 in Blade Runner. > > I think you're dead right for Dostoevsky and Conrad, though perhaps > Dickens is distinct here in some ways, though certainly "on the same > tram" -- I agree as well about this direct line to Kafka and Scott. > Where I disagree is removing Durrell from that scene. He's far more > figurative in his images of the city, but I don't think cityscapes are > ever purely "lovely" in Durrell and certainly never generously > "beloved" > (though certainly obsessively loved). After all, in those opening > epigraphs to /Justine/, I read the rural as the space for "talk" and > the > urban as the space for Sadean jouissance. The city lives the people > only to drive them to destruction -- the only people who get better > flee. Those who stay become ill, symptomatic, and on a course for > destruction, blindness, and disfigurement. > > That said, "sensuous apprehension" is certainly a point of difference > between Durrell and those three. I just don't see "sensuous > apprehension" as an endorsement. Flames are certainly lovely but > equally horrifying, just like Justine, and just like Alexandria... > Durrell's cities are nightmares, whether Arab or English, yet they are > beautiful and enchanting as well, and they clearly inspire various > forms > of love. > > If we read Durrell via someone like Mumford, who cites Durrell, how do > we see the urban/rural tension? People on Darley's island reflect, > heal, love, and care -- those in the city consume, destroy, and can > only > lead themselves to the harbour scene at the opening of Clea (albeit > with > love still there, but in an obsessive form). This is also why I > quibble > over Egyptian distaste for Durrell's poor portrait of their city -- he > paints Alexandria as destructive, but welcome to the club! He does > the > same for London, Istanbul, and all centres of urban power. Like > Darley, > Lawrence Lucifer in /The Black Book/ only survives by leaving London > for > Corfu, yet another island escape akin to Darley's. > > As for Ridley Scott, I'd be inclined to look to /Tunc/ and /Nunquam/ > as > comparable works, and the city is horrific in both -- the city is > where > humanity dies, and the country is where it heals. Why else would the > first version of "Bladerunner" end with the flight to the rural, while > the others leave us trapped in the nightmarish urban -- no happy > ending > would be possible in the urban... (Scott's various "authorships" > aside) > > I might add, what city did Durrell choose to live in? Where did he > find > fodder for his art? As near as I can tell, he fled cities as > quickly as > possible throughout his life, choosing to enter them sporadically > rather > than reside in them. > > But, this may be a major interpretive difference between us, and I > think > the majority of the past scholarship would be on your side. Still, I > can't make that reading sensible as I move through Durrell's texts... > [Plugs] --> /Panic Spring/ strikes as fairly overt in showing a > retreat > from the urban to the rural, and escape from large-scale human culture > to the village, a movement from capital to collaboration, etc... The > same happens in /Pied Piper of Lovers/ when Walsh is sent from rural > India to urban London, then fleeing to the country. > > But, at heart, I suppose I'm saying I don't buy Durrell as a lover of > cities, as he's most often portrayed. Cities are indeed his subject, > but they have shadows that dominate them, even in the sunny parts of > the > world. Then again, I also read his works as ironic, and irony resides > in the reader rather than the text, so... > > Best, > James > > (self-confessed urbanite) > > pa: I've long-considered but never began a comparison of /Revolt of > Aphrodite/ and "Bladerunner." The role of the android in that and > Mordecai Richler's /Crazy Cock/ strike me as ripe for comparison... > Anyone? > > Bruce Redwine wrote: >> James, >> >> I think we largely agree. We can all admire different writers, >> styles, outlooks, etc. My eyebrows raised when Charles wrote that >> Morris "admires evocations of cityscapes penned by Joseph Conrad, >> Dickens and Dostoevsky." The use of "evocations" bothers me, which >> is >> probably Charles's word and not Morris's. For me anyway, Durrell >> evokes but Conrad, Dickens, and Dostoevsky don't. Those three are >> engaged in another program, which, to my mind, has little to do with >> the sensuous apprehension of an experience ? which is my sense of >> "evocation" and Durrell's too, I think ? hence, Durrell's use of >> "beloved Alexandria" ? rather they're out to paint a rather >> terrifying >> vision of the modern industrial city, be it the London of The Secret >> Agent and Bleak House or the Saint Petersburg of Crime and >> Punishment. It's not a big step from them to Kafka's Prague, and >> from >> there to Ridley Scott's LA of 2019 in Blade Runner. It may be that >> Durrell has fallen into disfavor, just as the modern urban >> environment >> has, and it seems important to me to mark that difference. >> >> >> Bruce > _______________________________________________ > ILDS mailing list > ILDS at lists.uvic.ca > https://lists.uvic.ca/mailman/listinfo/ilds From slighcl at wfu.edu Thu Jul 24 06:34:37 2008 From: slighcl at wfu.edu (slighcl) Date: Thu, 24 Jul 2008 09:34:37 -0400 Subject: [ilds] Spirits of Place -- the city In-Reply-To: <38C85EF3-4366-4FE9-8663-D3D4F3F3BA94@earthlink.net> References: <32734325.1216767611188.JavaMail.root@elwamui-sweet.atl.sa.earthlink.net> <4886697D.5070109@wfu.edu> <795C8CEB-E9F0-44CD-9379-9250E638AB40@earthlink.net> <4886871A.9070208@wfu.edu> <23902A2A-24AA-4B4B-A229-282146F1428F@earthlink.net> <48876419.1090305@gmail.com> <318CE02A-FB80-4657-BFE5-CECF0543C431@earthlink.net> <48877DB4.7080506@gmail.com> <38C85EF3-4366-4FE9-8663-D3D4F3F3BA94@earthlink.net> Message-ID: <488884ED.2040505@wfu.edu> On 7/23/2008 10:41 PM, Bruce Redwine wrote: > Maybe Durrell > hated himself. I would have that rephrased, removing the "maybe." Whatever his other faults and pretensions, I think that Durrell had insight and honesty enough to recognize that his great theme was the essential "bankruptcy" of any individual clear-eyed enough to take an account of himself or herself. As Durrell recognized in his poetry of the 1940s and 1950s and in the fiction of the 1950s - 1980s, that great theme of bankruptcy--the essential mystery of human life?--placed him in good company. Shakespeare's Hamlet and Cavafy's Antony sit on the same ground as Pursewarden, there in the shade of the Tree of Idleness, retelling the various compromises and betrayals with which they (we) have beaded the string of their (our) lives. > why wouldst thou be a > breeder of sinners? I am myself indifferent honest; > but yet I could accuse me of such things that it > were better my mother had not borne me: I am very > proud, revengeful, ambitious, with more offences at > my beck than I have thoughts to put them in, > imagination to give them shape, or time to act them > in. What should such fellows as I do crawling > between earth and heaven? We are arrant knaves, > all; believe none of us. Great minds sink or sin alike. I think that those quickest to fault Durrell for his biographical peccadilloes--or for supposedly problematic connections between his art and his biography--miss several points. The first point point missed would be the recognition that, as someone abidingly skeptical about human nature and his own self-worth, Durrell has already reckoned up again and again his own partnership in our human crime--his own and our own Arrant Knavery. "/But of course/--/Have I ever claimed or pretended otherwise/?"--that really seems to be Durrell's attitude via Pursewarden or the poems. "/And what of yourself/?" Durrell uses Byron's mask here: > Hobbled by this shadow, > My own invention of myself, I go > In wind, rain, stars, climbing > This ladder of compromises into Greece > Which like the Notself looms before > My politics, my invention and my war. > None of it but belongs > To this farded character > Whose Grecian credits are his old excuse > By freedom holding Byron in abuse. The second point missed would be to recognize that anyone seeking to catch out Durrell ends up sounding thoroughly naive, like someone who still believes in the perfectibility of the human project--i.e., like someone who obviously has not been attending to Durrell's questioning message. "/Oh/, /Brother Ass/!" And then there is the other great Durrellian theme or mystery, which asks the question, "This/ being the case/, /how does one carry on living/?" An antique Roman, Durrell finds that suicide is a constant cousin to his thoughts. > When one reads the Alexandria Quartet, one sees the > squalor and depravity of a city, but it is also one where "flies and > beggars own it today ? and those who enjoy an intermediate existence > between either." I would stress the word "enjoy" in that > description. Good. /Precisely/. Durrell stresses it also. He set out that sticky verb "enjoy" in order to catch out the pretensions of his Imagined Reader sitting back in a comfortable clean parlor on Pudding Island. (The News he Brings: We all live on Pudding Island.) Watch for similar moments throughout the opening pages of /Justine/. Durrell is using Darley's exotic flair as a mask for the Pursewardian skeptic who lurks beneath, asking us all here in our comfort, "/Are you quite comfortable yet/? /Do you think that this is going to be a/ '/nice/' /book/?" > Durrell is at heart a Romantic, no matter how cerebral he > tries to be, and the Romantics just loved contradictions and delighted > in the imagination, where they could "enjoy" that "intermediate > existence." Perhaps--only as the "remote / But very self of Byron and /of me/" is called a "Romantic." > Other enemies intervene here, > Not less where the valet serves > In a muddle of papers and consequences; > Not less in places where I walk alone > With Conscience, the defective: my defences > Against a past which lies behind, > Writing and rewriting to the bone > Those famous letters in my mind. > > Time grows short. Now the trees > Are rapping at the empty casements. > Fevers are closing in on us at last--- > So long desired an end of service > To the flesh and its competitions of endurance. > There is so little time. Fletcher > Tidies the bed at dusk and brings me coffee. > > You, the speaking and the feeling who come after: > I sent you something once---it must be > Somewhere in /Juan/ ---it has not reached you yet. > > O watch for this remote > But very self of Byron and of me, > Blown empty on the white cliffs of the mind, > A dispossessed His Lordship writing you > A message in a bottle dropped at sea. Charles -- ********************** Charles L. Sligh Department of English Wake Forest University slighcl at wfu.edu ********************** -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.uvic.ca/pipermail/ilds/attachments/20080724/63a457eb/attachment.html From bredwine1968 at earthlink.net Thu Jul 24 07:28:16 2008 From: bredwine1968 at earthlink.net (Bruce Redwine) Date: Thu, 24 Jul 2008 07:28:16 -0700 Subject: [ilds] Spirits of Place -- the city In-Reply-To: <488884ED.2040505@wfu.edu> References: <32734325.1216767611188.JavaMail.root@elwamui-sweet.atl.sa.earthlink.net> <4886697D.5070109@wfu.edu> <795C8CEB-E9F0-44CD-9379-9250E638AB40@earthlink.net> <4886871A.9070208@wfu.edu> <23902A2A-24AA-4B4B-A229-282146F1428F@earthlink.net> <48876419.1090305@gmail.com> <318CE02A-FB80-4657-BFE5-CECF0543C431@earthlink.net> <48877DB4.7080506@gmail.com> <38C85EF3-4366-4FE9-8663-D3D4F3F3BA94@earthlink.net> <488884ED.2040505@wfu.edu> Message-ID: Charles sounds to me like a Formalists, those critics who like to stick to a text and ignore an author's life. That is, if not naive, a rather idealistic approach to understanding what makes art what it is. When looking at literature, I consider everything ? and most importantly biography ? fair game. Durrell opens himself up to criticism when he goes after other poets such as Horace. "Loeb's Horace," a great poem, I find rather dishonest. As I've said before, Durrell had a troubling need to attack rival poets. Maybe he did hate himself, and I'll keep the "maybe" in, for I'm not certain what went on inside his head. Moreover, being called a Romantic is not such a bad thing. They were diverse enough to include all of Charles's points. Bruce On Jul 24, 2008, at 6:34 AM, slighcl wrote: > > > I think that those quickest to fault Durrell for his biographical > peccadilloes--or for supposedly problematic connections between his > art and his biography--miss several points. The first point point > missed would be the recognition that, as someone abidingly skeptical > about human nature and his own self-worth, Durrell has already > reckoned up again and again his own partnership in our human crime-- > his own and our own Arrant Knavery. "But of course--Have I ever > claimed or pretended otherwise?"--that really seems to be Durrell's > attitude via Pursewarden or the poems. "And what of yourself?" > > The second point missed would be to recognize that anyone seeking to > catch out Durrell ends up sounding thoroughly naive, like someone > who still believes in the perfectibility of the human project--i.e., > like someone who obviously has not been attending to Durrell's > questioning message. "Oh, Brother Ass!" > > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.uvic.ca/pipermail/ilds/attachments/20080724/de9160d2/attachment.html From odos.fanourios at gmail.com Thu Jul 24 08:54:04 2008 From: odos.fanourios at gmail.com (James Gifford) Date: Thu, 24 Jul 2008 09:54:04 -0600 Subject: [ilds] Spirits of Place -- the city In-Reply-To: References: <32734325.1216767611188.JavaMail.root@elwamui-sweet.atl.sa.earthlink.net> <4886697D.5070109@wfu.edu> <795C8CEB-E9F0-44CD-9379-9250E638AB40@earthlink.net> <4886871A.9070208@wfu.edu> <23902A2A-24AA-4B4B-A229-282146F1428F@earthlink.net> <48876419.1090305@gmail.com> <318CE02A-FB80-4657-BFE5-CECF0543C431@earthlink.net> <48877DB4.7080506@gmail.com> <38C85EF3-4366-4FE9-8663-D3D4F3F3BA94@earthlink.net> <488884ED.2040505@wfu.edu> Message-ID: <4888A59C.5050709@gmail.com> Hello all, I've not seen this in the bibliographies before (perhaps my error), though I've added it now for the next update. At any rate, this is yet another view of Egypt through Durrell's lens, though this time I think it's pretty clearly to make a buck off the tourist reader. Point being, this is certainly a very different kind of "realism" (or image of it) than we get in the Quartet: http://www.nytimes.com/books/98/09/13/specials/durrell-magazine.html Grove -- have you seen this before? I know the ts. with holograph corrections is in Nanterre and one variant page is in Victoria, but I'd assumed it was unpublished until just now. Best, James ____________________________________ James Gifford Department of English Mount Royal College 4825 Mount Royal Gate SW Calgary, Alberta, T3E 6K6 http://members.shaw.ca/james.gifford From lillios at mail.ucf.edu Thu Jul 24 08:32:17 2008 From: lillios at mail.ucf.edu (Anna Lillios) Date: Thu, 24 Jul 2008 11:32:17 -0400 Subject: [ilds] Novel about Durrell in Corfu Message-ID: <488868410200004D000358F6@mail.ucf.edu> Hi Everyone, Hilary Paipeti has informed me that a novel has just been published about Durrell's life in Corfu. Below is Hilary's review of the novel for the CORFIOT magazine. --Anna Lillios This is my review of the novel which I told you about. Peter Harrison told me the impression if that Deborah Lawrenson is a 'Mills and Boon' type writer, but nothing could be further from the truth! Try it and see! Hilary Paipeti Over the years there have been numerous novels in which Corfu provides the setting. First of these may have been Mary Stewart's early 1960s book This Rough Magic, notable for its references to Shakespeare's Tempest. In this romance based around a smuggling plot, Stewart uses the literary device of a conversation between the main characters to argue that Corfu was the Tempest island of Prospero and Sycorax. In it, she enlarges on a theme which Lawrence Durrell develops in a similar way in his Corfu travelogue Prospero's Cell. Whilst researching This Rough Magic, Stewart was one of the Durrell 'set' which would meet at 'HQ', the Liston Bar, and she could well have joined in the debates on this subject. Set mainly in Corfu, Deborah Lawrenson latest novel Songs of Blue and Gold can be enjoyed as a straightforward story; but it can also be read as an allusion to Lawrence Durrell and his works. A multilayered plot (like many of Durrell's) mingles four timeframes (two are purported biographical studies) as an Englishwoman searches for the truth of her mother's life. At the centre is the larger-than-life personality of Lawrence Durrell, Julian Adie in the book. Adie lived with his artist wife in Kalami's White House before the war, and later, in Egypt, he put together his memoirs of the time in a travelogue called The Gates of Paradise. He is also famous for his work The Cairo Triptych, and at the point we meet him, in 1968, is mourning the death of his third - and best - wife Simone. Though Lawrenson explains that Adie is a fictional character, for Durrellians the book is a veritable treasure trove of similar references, including a very funny parody of a magazine article by Durrell called Oil for the Saint, and a polymath character with elements of Durrell's friend and mentor Theodore Stephanides. In today's timeframe at the start of the book, Melissa's mother Elizabeth is dying, and she is also losing her husband. One of Elizabeth's last actions is to present Melissa with a book of poetry that contains a message hinting at a connection with Julian Adie. Distraught, Melissa seeks solace in the search for the truth about her mother's past (which we discover piece by piece in the Durrell/ Adie timeframe sections), and in doing so she rediscovers her own happiness. Songs of Blue and Gold, we find out towards the end, is a work of poetry Adie planned to write, just as Durrell must have been thinking out his Avignon Quintet at much the same period. Talking with Adie in 1968, Elizabeth describes Goethe's colour wheel, in which 'yellow... splendid and noble... is the polar opposite to blue...' [Have a look at the colour wheel on any computer programme for layouts, like QuarkXpress] This is the key to the book; the counterpoints of blue and gold that crop up time after time. The retroactive suggestion that the structure of the colour wheel would have inspired Adie's poetic cycle parallels Durrell's use of the quincunx for structuring his Quintet. Lawrenson's novel also shadows Durrell's Alexandria Quartet in the witnesses' differing interpretations of its key event, the drowning which is catalyst in the relationship between Adie and Elizabeth. Ambiguous interpretations of this event - suicide, accident or murder? - in the four timeframes hint at an underlying theme, which Melissa expands on: biography, its search for meaning, is essentially subjective. It's a subtle and well crafted novel which deserves close attention, but you won't lose out by treating it simply as a finely written story in which Corfu takes one of the starring roles. Songs of Blue and Gold Deborah Lawrenson Arrow Books (Random House) ISBN 978-0-099-50519-8 Published August 2008 www.deborah-lawrenson.co.uk Next month: An in-depth interview with Deborah Lawrenson. The author's previous novel, The Art of Falling, is also available from Arrow Books. Dr. Anna Lillios Associate Professor of English Department of English University of Central Florida P.O. Box 161346 Orlando, Florida 32816-1346 Phone: (407) 823-5161 FAX: (407) 823-6582 From slighcl at wfu.edu Thu Jul 24 09:28:07 2008 From: slighcl at wfu.edu (slighcl) Date: Thu, 24 Jul 2008 12:28:07 -0400 Subject: [ilds] Novel about Durrell in Corfu In-Reply-To: <488868410200004D000358F6@mail.ucf.edu> References: <488868410200004D000358F6@mail.ucf.edu> Message-ID: <4888AD97.7060903@wfu.edu> Thank you for this alert about Deborah Lawrenson's novel, Anna. Lawren/son,/ the daughter-artist, follows the fiction of the father-artist, Lawrence Durrell. Names are funny things. C&c. -- ********************** Charles L. Sligh Department of English Wake Forest University slighcl at wfu.edu ********************** -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.uvic.ca/pipermail/ilds/attachments/20080724/8d020a69/attachment.html From slighcl at wfu.edu Thu Jul 24 10:09:45 2008 From: slighcl at wfu.edu (slighcl) Date: Thu, 24 Jul 2008 13:09:45 -0400 Subject: [ilds] Spirits of Place -- the city In-Reply-To: <4888A59C.5050709@gmail.com> References: <32734325.1216767611188.JavaMail.root@elwamui-sweet.atl.sa.earthlink.net> <4886697D.5070109@wfu.edu> <795C8CEB-E9F0-44CD-9379-9250E638AB40@earthlink.net> <4886871A.9070208@wfu.edu> <23902A2A-24AA-4B4B-A229-282146F1428F@earthlink.net> <48876419.1090305@gmail.com> <318CE02A-FB80-4657-BFE5-CECF0543C431@earthlink.net> <48877DB4.7080506@gmail.com> <38C85EF3-4366-4FE9-8663-D3D4F3F3BA94@earthlink.net> <488884ED.2040505@wfu.edu> <4888A59C.5050709@gmail.com> Message-ID: <4888B759.8020902@wfu.edu> > June 11, 1978 > Egyptian Moments > By LAWRENCE DURRELL > > We were still *high *in the air, enjoying a *brilliant > *sunlight. The sun had not yet disappeared behind the horizon > but was climbing steadily down through the golden bars of > cloud. *I did not need to be reminded that the two royal > colors of Egypt, gold and green, were a kind of symbol* of her > sunsets, which are almost always the same, hardly ever > differing in their primary colors. But below us the world had > turned on its side and Cairo had *foundered *into near > darkness -- *a provisional darkness*, because the dust of the > desert obscures outlines -- and we were sinking down toward it > into *a pool of night punctuated by drifts of stars and the > lights of the city* just coming on. We could glimpse the > sinuous backbone of the old serpent, the Nile, polished and > gleaming and, strangely enough, giving off steam *like a hot > flatiron*. Then *darkness closed in *abruptly, our own lights > came on, and *the capital swam up* to meet us. This opening paragraph from 1978 bears reading against the opening paragraphs of /Prospero's Cell/ (1945). Cf. the approach through "severely domesticated" Calabria and across the sea and the sudden "change" in which you become "aware of /islands /coming out of the darkness to meet you." There really is a kind of characteristically Durrellian opening move. . . . I have highlighted above some of the peculiarly Durrellian adjectives, verbs, and phrasings that I recognize as echoes from other, similar Durrellian moments. I think a linguist like Linda Rashidi could tell me so much more than I am guessing from within my own special limits as a doter among old manuscripts and notebooks. (I believe that Linda's Corfu paper tracked and pondered some of Durrell linguistic DNA.) On "The Parthenon": > Put it more simply: say *the city > Swam up* here swan-like to the shallows, > Or whiteness from an overflowing jar > Settled into this grassy violet space, > Theorem for three hills, > > Went soft with brickdust, clay and whitewash, > On a plastered porch one morning wrote > Human names, think of it, men became the roads. And something somewhere having "foundered" plays out as a prime metaphor across at least a dozen Durrellian works. Cf. /Justine/: "At every corner the violet shadows fell and foundered, striped with human experience --- at once savage and tenderly lyrical." "Swam up" / "drifts" / "foundered" --Durrell achieves a great deal of his characteristic effect by imagining that his primal storytelling moment has resulted from some sort of traumatic "shipwreck," or from some sort of "running aground" on a reef of human experience that he will have to begin charting out. Oh dear. So many characters left to founder and wash up in unfamiliar ports of call. Now I will want to read Conrad's /Lord Jim/ again. Charles -- ********************** Charles L. Sligh Department of English Wake Forest University slighcl at wfu.edu ********************** -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.uvic.ca/pipermail/ilds/attachments/20080724/877b455b/attachment.html From godshawl at email.uc.edu Thu Jul 24 10:22:17 2008 From: godshawl at email.uc.edu (william godshalk) Date: Thu, 24 Jul 2008 13:22:17 -0400 Subject: [ilds] Spirits of Place -- the city In-Reply-To: <4888B759.8020902@wfu.edu> References: <32734325.1216767611188.JavaMail.root@elwamui-sweet.atl.sa.earthlink.net> <4886697D.5070109@wfu.edu> <795C8CEB-E9F0-44CD-9379-9250E638AB40@earthlink.net> <4886871A.9070208@wfu.edu> <23902A2A-24AA-4B4B-A229-282146F1428F@earthlink.net> <48876419.1090305@gmail.com> <318CE02A-FB80-4657-BFE5-CECF0543C431@earthlink.net> <48877DB4.7080506@gmail.com> <38C85EF3-4366-4FE9-8663-D3D4F3F3BA94@earthlink.net> <488884ED.2040505@wfu.edu> <4888A59C.5050709@gmail.com> <4888B759.8020902@wfu.edu> Message-ID: An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.uvic.ca/pipermail/ilds/attachments/20080724/965bf0c3/attachment.html From odos.fanourios at gmail.com Thu Jul 24 10:25:27 2008 From: odos.fanourios at gmail.com (James Gifford) Date: Thu, 24 Jul 2008 11:25:27 -0600 Subject: [ilds] Spirits of Place -- the city In-Reply-To: References: <32734325.1216767611188.JavaMail.root@elwamui-sweet.atl.sa.earthlink.net> <4886697D.5070109@wfu.edu> <795C8CEB-E9F0-44CD-9379-9250E638AB40@earthlink.net> <4886871A.9070208@wfu.edu> <23902A2A-24AA-4B4B-A229-282146F1428F@earthlink.net> <48876419.1090305@gmail.com> <318CE02A-FB80-4657-BFE5-CECF0543C431@earthlink.net> <48877DB4.7080506@gmail.com> <38C85EF3-4366-4FE9-8663-D3D4F3F3BA94@earthlink.net> <488884ED.2040505@wfu.edu> <4888A59C.5050709@gmail.com> <4888B759.8020902@wfu.edu> Message-ID: <4888BB07.1040007@gmail.com> I could generate a concordance to half a dozen or so novels and the poetry in very short order (ah, the electronic age), but the full concordance would be a great deal of work... Are you on task for this Bill? --J william godshalk wrote: > Lord Jim foundered! > > Anyway, as I read Charlie's post, it occurred to me that a concordance > of Durrell's work would be helpful -- to the avid Durrellian and others. > > Is it a possibility? > > Billity From slighcl at wfu.edu Thu Jul 24 11:35:40 2008 From: slighcl at wfu.edu (slighcl) Date: Thu, 24 Jul 2008 14:35:40 -0400 Subject: [ilds] A Concordance of Durrell's writing In-Reply-To: <4888BB07.1040007@gmail.com> References: <32734325.1216767611188.JavaMail.root@elwamui-sweet.atl.sa.earthlink.net> <4886697D.5070109@wfu.edu> <795C8CEB-E9F0-44CD-9379-9250E638AB40@earthlink.net> <4886871A.9070208@wfu.edu> <23902A2A-24AA-4B4B-A229-282146F1428F@earthlink.net> <48876419.1090305@gmail.com> <318CE02A-FB80-4657-BFE5-CECF0543C431@earthlink.net> <48877DB4.7080506@gmail.com> <38C85EF3-4366-4FE9-8663-D3D4F3F3BA94@earthlink.net> <488884ED.2040505@wfu.edu> <4888A59C.5050709@gmail.com> <4888B759.8020902@wfu.edu> <4888BB07.1040007@gmail.com> Message-ID: <4888CB7C.90107@wfu.edu> Before starting on a projected Durrell concordance, I would want to think about the format of publication. My sense of things is that a searchable electronic archive of all Durrell's published works in their various instances of publication would be far more useful than a hard-copy concordance published in old-style form. An electronic database would allow the user to go beyond simple listing. Collation, copying, and collecting tools could also be offered. A fully-searchable, full-text database presenting all of Durrell's published poetry--along with the published works of many other Faber & Faber poets--is in fact available in digital archive, via Chadwyck-Healey's Literature Online (LION) database: http://lion.chadwyck.com/ > /Literature Online/ is a virtual library containing over > 350,000 literary texts together with full-text journals, > author biographies and other critical and reference resources. > Since its launch in 1996, it has become established as the > first port of call both for advanced researchers, looking for > accurate online versions of authoritative print texts, and for > students who require trustworthy critical sources on set texts > and authors. > > All subscribers have access to /Literature Online/'s Core > Collection, and your institution may also have access to > additional collections as premium modules. The premium modules > are fully integrated with /Literature Online/: texts and > records appear alongside Core Collection materials in Quick > Search and other search results, and in Complete Contents. > Users can also access the premium modules via their > stand-alone interfaces, by following the Individual > Collections link from the left-hand toolbar. The contents of > the available collections are described below. > Since Durrell's writings remain under the control of the Durrell Estate, working through such subscription-based databases may be the best option for now. Of course, for those with industry, time, and technology at their disposal, self-made databases are not difficult to construct. Charles -- ********************** Charles L. Sligh Department of English Wake Forest University slighcl at wfu.edu ********************** -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.uvic.ca/pipermail/ilds/attachments/20080724/8cb6a1ca/attachment.html From godshawl at email.uc.edu Thu Jul 24 11:36:12 2008 From: godshawl at email.uc.edu (william godshalk) Date: Thu, 24 Jul 2008 14:36:12 -0400 Subject: [ilds] Durrell concordance In-Reply-To: <4888BB07.1040007@gmail.com> References: <32734325.1216767611188.JavaMail.root@elwamui-sweet.atl.sa.earthlink.net> <4886697D.5070109@wfu.edu> <795C8CEB-E9F0-44CD-9379-9250E638AB40@earthlink.net> <4886871A.9070208@wfu.edu> <23902A2A-24AA-4B4B-A229-282146F1428F@earthlink.net> <48876419.1090305@gmail.com> <318CE02A-FB80-4657-BFE5-CECF0543C431@earthlink.net> <48877DB4.7080506@gmail.com> <38C85EF3-4366-4FE9-8663-D3D4F3F3BA94@earthlink.net> <488884ED.2040505@wfu.edu> <4888A59C.5050709@gmail.com> <4888B759.8020902@wfu.edu> <4888BB07.1040007@gmail.com> Message-ID: <65.1D.13582.A8BC8884@gwout2> Well, Jamie, what are you proposing? I'm busy counting commas right now, but how much time and energy are we talking about? Could others join the concordance group? Bill At 01:25 PM 7/24/2008, you wrote: >I could generate a concordance to half a dozen or so novels and the >poetry in very short order (ah, the electronic age), but the full >concordance would be a great deal of work... Are you on task for this Bill? > >--J > >william godshalk wrote: > > Lord Jim foundered! > > > > Anyway, as I read Charlie's post, it occurred to me that a concordance > > of Durrell's work would be helpful -- to the avid Durrellian and others. > > > > Is it a possibility? > > > > Billity >_______________________________________________ >ILDS mailing list >ILDS at lists.uvic.ca >https://lists.uvic.ca/mailman/listinfo/ilds *************************************** W. L. Godshalk * Department of English * University of Cincinnati Stellar disorder * Cincinnati OH 45221-0069 * 513-281-5927 *************************************** From godshawl at email.uc.edu Thu Jul 24 11:39:59 2008 From: godshawl at email.uc.edu (william godshalk) Date: Thu, 24 Jul 2008 14:39:59 -0400 Subject: [ilds] A Concordance of Durrell's writing In-Reply-To: <4888CB7C.90107@wfu.edu> References: <32734325.1216767611188.JavaMail.root@elwamui-sweet.atl.sa.earthlink.net> <4886697D.5070109@wfu.edu> <795C8CEB-E9F0-44CD-9379-9250E638AB40@earthlink.net> <4886871A.9070208@wfu.edu> <23902A2A-24AA-4B4B-A229-282146F1428F@earthlink.net> <48876419.1090305@gmail.com> <318CE02A-FB80-4657-BFE5-CECF0543C431@earthlink.net> <48877DB4.7080506@gmail.com> <38C85EF3-4366-4FE9-8663-D3D4F3F3BA94@earthlink.net> <488884ED.2040505@wfu.edu> <4888A59C.5050709@gmail.com> <4888B759.8020902@wfu.edu> <4888BB07.1040007@gmail.com> <4888CB7C.90107@wfu.edu> Message-ID: <06.8D.13582.B6CC8884@gwout2> An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.uvic.ca/pipermail/ilds/attachments/20080724/916a3622/attachment.html From slighcl at wfu.edu Thu Jul 24 11:43:42 2008 From: slighcl at wfu.edu (slighcl) Date: Thu, 24 Jul 2008 14:43:42 -0400 Subject: [ilds] A Concordance of Durrell's writing In-Reply-To: <06.8D.13582.B6CC8884@gwout2> References: <32734325.1216767611188.JavaMail.root@elwamui-sweet.atl.sa.earthlink.net> <4886697D.5070109@wfu.edu> <795C8CEB-E9F0-44CD-9379-9250E638AB40@earthlink.net> <4886871A.9070208@wfu.edu> <23902A2A-24AA-4B4B-A229-282146F1428F@earthlink.net> <48876419.1090305@gmail.com> <318CE02A-FB80-4657-BFE5-CECF0543C431@earthlink.net> <48877DB4.7080506@gmail.com> <38C85EF3-4366-4FE9-8663-D3D4F3F3BA94@earthlink.net> <488884ED.2040505@wfu.edu> <4888A59C.5050709@gmail.com> <4888B759.8020902@wfu.edu> <4888BB07.1040007@gmail.com> <4888CB7C.90107@wfu.edu> <06.8D.13582.B6CC8884@gwout2> Message-ID: <4888CD5E.3050807@wfu.edu> On 7/24/2008 2:39 PM, william godshalk wrote: > Charlie, > > Thanks. I didn't realize that LION included Durrell's work. Yes, and then the search functions of Amazon.com and Google Books can be manipulated for different returns. Thinking. C-- -- ********************** Charles L. Sligh Department of English Wake Forest University slighcl at wfu.edu ********************** From gkoger at mindspring.com Thu Jul 24 13:22:19 2008 From: gkoger at mindspring.com (gkoger at mindspring.com) Date: Thu, 24 Jul 2008 14:22:19 -0600 (GMT-06:00) Subject: [ilds] Spirits of Place -- the city Message-ID: <29957240.1216930939640.JavaMail.root@mswamui-cedar.atl.sa.earthlink.net> James et al, Thomas and Brigham's checklist has an entry for "With Durrell in Egypt" for the same publication and date. I may well have sent Jay this entry, meaning that I would have seen the original and copied the information directly from it. I'll check microfilm of the Times when I get a chance, as I don't trust online sources to remain the same. Grove -----Original Message----- >From: James Gifford >Sent: Jul 24, 2008 9:54 AM >To: ilds at lists.uvic.ca >Subject: Re: [ilds] Spirits of Place -- the city > >Hello all, > >I've not seen this in the bibliographies before (perhaps my error), >though I've added it now for the next update. At any rate, this is yet >another view of Egypt through Durrell's lens, though this time I think >it's pretty clearly to make a buck off the tourist reader. Point being, >this is certainly a very different kind of "realism" (or image of it) >than we get in the Quartet: > >http://www.nytimes.com/books/98/09/13/specials/durrell-magazine.html > >Grove -- have you seen this before? I know the ts. with holograph >corrections is in Nanterre and one variant page is in Victoria, but I'd >assumed it was unpublished until just now. > >Best, >James >____________________________________ >James Gifford >Department of English >Mount Royal College >4825 Mount Royal Gate SW >Calgary, Alberta, T3E 6K6 >http://members.shaw.ca/james.gifford >_______________________________________________ >ILDS mailing list >ILDS at lists.uvic.ca >https://lists.uvic.ca/mailman/listinfo/ilds From gkoger at mindspring.com Thu Jul 24 13:33:57 2008 From: gkoger at mindspring.com (gkoger at mindspring.com) Date: Thu, 24 Jul 2008 14:33:57 -0600 (GMT-06:00) Subject: [ilds] Durrell concordance Message-ID: <24788464.1216931637670.JavaMail.root@mswamui-cedar.atl.sa.earthlink.net> While we're talking about a Durrell concordance, why not a Durrell reader's companion, modeled along the lines of, say the /Oxford Reader's Companion to Conrad/? It's a different order of work, I realize, but perhaps more publishable in the traditional manner. Grove -----Original Message----- >From: william godshalk >Sent: Jul 24, 2008 12:36 PM >To: ilds at lists.uvic.ca >Subject: [ilds] Durrell concordance > >Well, Jamie, what are you proposing? I'm busy counting commas right >now, but how much time and energy are we talking about? Could others >join the concordance group? > >Bill > > >At 01:25 PM 7/24/2008, you wrote: >>I could generate a concordance to half a dozen or so novels and the >>poetry in very short order (ah, the electronic age), but the full >>concordance would be a great deal of work... Are you on task for this Bill? >> >>--J >> >>william godshalk wrote: >> > Lord Jim foundered! >> > >> > Anyway, as I read Charlie's post, it occurred to me that a concordance >> > of Durrell's work would be helpful -- to the avid Durrellian and others. >> > >> > Is it a possibility? >> > >> > Billity >>_______________________________________________ >>ILDS mailing list >>ILDS at lists.uvic.ca >>https://lists.uvic.ca/mailman/listinfo/ilds > >*************************************** >W. L. Godshalk * >Department of English * >University of Cincinnati Stellar disorder * >Cincinnati OH 45221-0069 * >513-281-5927 >*************************************** > > >_______________________________________________ >ILDS mailing list >ILDS at lists.uvic.ca >https://lists.uvic.ca/mailman/listinfo/ilds From bredwine1968 at earthlink.net Thu Jul 24 16:15:28 2008 From: bredwine1968 at earthlink.net (Bruce Redwine) Date: Thu, 24 Jul 2008 16:15:28 -0700 Subject: [ilds] Spirits of Place -- the city In-Reply-To: <31519371.1216938957583.JavaMail.root@nskntwebs06p> References: <31519371.1216938957583.JavaMail.root@nskntwebs06p> Message-ID: <58116014-3551-4DE3-902E-3582CA5464A2@earthlink.net> I think you're right, Dr. D., but I also think the ILDS is more comfortable chewing over topics like a concordance to LD's works. Das Leben ist verboten. Bruce On Jul 24, 2008, at 3:35 PM, wrote: > Mmmm....the balance and ratios of core qualities which define us are > a great source of interest to you and old LD....self love and self > hate....this is the essential tension that provides sustenance for > life bruce and the manner in which this duality unfolds drives the > evolution or devolution of personality, relationships and of course > spirituality....best wishes DrD > ---- Bruce Redwine wrote: >> Charles sounds to me like a Formalists, those critics who like to >> stick to a text and ignore an author's life. That is, if not >> naive, a >> rather idealistic approach to understanding what makes art what it >> is. When looking at literature, I consider everything ? and most >> importantly biography ? fair game. Durrell opens himself up to >> criticism when he goes after other poets such as Horace. "Loeb's >> Horace," a great poem, I find rather dishonest. As I've said before, >> Durrell had a troubling need to attack rival poets. Maybe he did >> hate >> himself, and I'll keep the "maybe" in, for I'm not certain what went >> on inside his head. Moreover, being called a Romantic is not such a >> bad thing. They were diverse enough to include all of Charles's >> points. >> >> >> Bruce >> >> >> On Jul 24, 2008, at 6:34 AM, slighcl wrote: >> >>> >>> >>> I think that those quickest to fault Durrell for his biographical >>> peccadilloes--or for supposedly problematic connections between his >>> art and his biography--miss several points. The first point point >>> missed would be the recognition that, as someone abidingly skeptical >>> about human nature and his own self-worth, Durrell has already >>> reckoned up again and again his own partnership in our human crime-- >>> his own and our own Arrant Knavery. "But of course--Have I ever >>> claimed or pretended otherwise?"--that really seems to be Durrell's >>> attitude via Pursewarden or the poems. "And what of yourself?" >>> >>> The second point missed would be to recognize that anyone seeking to >>> catch out Durrell ends up sounding thoroughly naive, like someone >>> who still believes in the perfectibility of the human project--i.e., >>> like someone who obviously has not been attending to Durrell's >>> questioning message. "Oh, Brother Ass!" >>> >>> >> > From slighcl at wfu.edu Thu Jul 24 16:18:30 2008 From: slighcl at wfu.edu (slighcl) Date: Thu, 24 Jul 2008 19:18:30 -0400 Subject: [ilds] Durrell concordance In-Reply-To: <24788464.1216931637670.JavaMail.root@mswamui-cedar.atl.sa.earthlink.net> References: <24788464.1216931637670.JavaMail.root@mswamui-cedar.atl.sa.earthlink.net> Message-ID: <48890DC6.9020707@wfu.edu> Here follows directions for Deborah Lawrenson's UK website. The photo treatment is very Larry/Nancy. http://www.deborah-lawrenson.co.uk/ > In the horseshoe bay of Kalami in Corfu, a tumultuous love affair > begins between a renowned novelist and a woman escaping scandal. Years > later, her daughter Melissa, running from her own past, comes to the > island ... > > Melissa's life in England is in disarray. There are cracks in her > perfect marriage, and her elderly mother, Elizabeth, is losing her > memory and slowly drifting away. In the last glimmers of lucidity, > Elizabeth presents her daughter with a gift that suggests a very > secret history - one that leads Melissa to Kalami, where Julian Adie, > poet, traveller and novelist, once lived. > > Published August 2008 ISBN 0099481898 > > Extract - Melissa's account of her arrival for the first time in Corfu > > > > By the time I reached Corfu, the season was in its last gasp. > > The White HouseEvening hung early over the bay when I walked the stony > beach at Kalami and found the White House. It was just as he > described: defiant on a rock, the sea clawing at its feet. On the > headland behind, cypress trees pointed into a curdling sky. Pebbles > crunched under my feet as I went closer, and waves sighed on grey > stones. A brackish smell of nets and seaweed was sharp in the air. > > This was how my search began. Looking for someone I didn't know, many > years too late. And looking, at the same time, for someone I had > always known, but trying to place her in a strange setting, > reconfigured in some new history. > > It was late October. My summer had disappeared, hour by hour, into the > oppressive sun and rain of an English heat wave that drained suddenly > into autumn while it was still August. Here, though, warmth lingered. > I'd fallen asleep for an hour, late afternoon, to the weary hum of > ageing insects and woke with the drumming thought: time present is > only a breath, a heartbeat, and then it's gone. So I went out quickly, > clutching the book. My knuckles were white around it, I noticed, as if > my hands belonged to someone else. > > I don't mind admitting it: I was nervous, frightened of what I might > find and how much it might alter my old certainties when so many of > the recent ones had already gone. In retrospect, it was the perfect > frame of mind in which to begin what I was trying to do; alive to > changes and misinterpretations, I trusted nothing. > > This was a new way of thinking for me. It still felt odd, to have no > trust in the world. But thanks to Richard, there was deceit and > duplicity everywhere. It was like a cold knife in the flesh, this > newly minted cynicism, sharpened by my own small deceptions to cover > the wound. > > Albanian coast view The lies had started as soon as I arrived alone at > the boat hire office where I picked up the key to the Prospero > Apartments. > > 'Unfortunately my husband couldn't come with me,' I told Manolis > Kiotzas. He was frowning at the print-out of my booking, clearly made > for a married couple: Richard and Melissa Quiller. > > Manolis, a jovial, wide-faced man in his forties, was sympathetic and > eager to offer help. He was also waiting for more. The Greeks are > tactful as well as hospitable; for all that, they are unembarrassed in > their curiosity about other people's lives, especially on this island. > I had learned that much already from Julian Adie. > > 'Work...his business, he couldn't get away,' I said. > > Manolis pulled down the corners of his mouth, with a wry twist this > time. He nodded sagely, acknowledging a wise decision not to have > cancelled in the circumstances. 'Is good you have come. You will have > a nice time. Still sunny for a few days, nice rest, nice food...' > > > 'I'm sure I will.' > > 'You come to the Prospero Taverna this evening, you have some wine...' > > I smiled, without committing myself. > > He handed over two large keys and gave me directions to the apartment, > about a hundred metres further up the road. It was on the first floor > of a modern house overlooking the sea, a few steps up a path on the > hill side of the road. I found the outside stairs at one side, and > carried my bags up feeling suddenly exhausted. There was no evidence > that any of the other apartments in the property were occupied. The > door opened easily. Inside, it was clean and white: a bedroom, a > shower room and a sitting room with a basic kitchen along one wall. > > I sluiced off the grime of travel, the early morning start on the > motorway, the sweat of penned-in airport queues, then lay down wrapped > in a dry towel on the double bed. > > I could cry now if I wanted. It didn't matter. I knew no-one here in > Corfu. No need for any pretence. The stupid lie to Manolis apart, I > was feeling all right. Or as well as could be expected. There was > relief in simply being away, a guilty relief, that the worst had > happened and I could stop fearing it. I didn't intend to sleep, but my > eyes closed and oblivion took over. > > That first evening, thoughts of my mother came easily as I sat on the > rocks below the White House. It was certainly possible to imagine her > in this place. > > A lilac veil was poised to drop over the water between the island and > the mountainous Albanian coast so close by. Julian Adie's description > of its hulking nearness was more accurate than I had expected. > > Sunset over Albania, viewed from The White House > /The Gates of Paradise/ was his account of an idyllic sojourn by the > Ionian Sea, first published at a time when Britain was /"a place of > thin greasy soup and shrivelled lips"/ and most people could only > dream of sensuous escape, of unbroken sunshine and the freedom to swim > each day in dark blue seas, to eat fresh figs and drink wine, make > love and write poetry under the sun. Sixty years ago, it was the book > that made Julian Adie famous. > > Near the end he writes of this very place, this fabled white house, > after he and his first wife Grace had reluctantly sailed away in the > teeth of imminent war: "It is never mentioned. The house is destroyed, > and the lovely boat lies holed and upturned, a ribcage rotting in the > sun. Only the shrine and the sacred pool are unchanged." > > The Shrine of St Arsenius - Durrell's place of > predilectionDisingenuous, of course. All the biographical sources > note, usually in a spirit of indulgence, that Adie was not to be > trusted with the truth when it came to spinning his literary web. > Better to mesmerise with prose studded with poetic jewels, to conjure > a yearning nostalgia by smashing up the beautiful landscape, setting > it out of reach like a myth, than to tell it how it was. > > Maybe the house was damaged, but it was never destroyed, for all that > the Germans cruelly bombed the island. It still stands, solid as it > ever was, at the southern end of the horseshoe bay. The boat had been > sold before they left, according to other accounts, and if Grace and > Julian never spoke of their idyll it was because by the time he came > to write the words, she had left him, taking their baby daughter with > her. By 1945 she was back in England, while he was rampaging through > parties in Cairo. > > Time and truth are elastic. I could feel that strongly here, sitting > on the rocks where they once sat and which he described so alluringly, > peeling away the layers of the present and the past. The slippage of > years is like a strong undertow of the sea over steeply shelving > beach. Could Julian Adie have been right all along, in his romantic > claims? Was it possible to escape from the English way of death, and > emerge in the blue light of a Greek island to collect and restructure > the past, current and recurrent? > > The rocks under The White House > > > Between the bay's twin headlands where tall cypresses blackened into > dark fringes, the sea was glassy. The looming foreign coastline was a > bulge of rocky muscle, indigo-ridged on the horizon, as I strained the > sinews of my own memory for the clues I must have missed. > > There was no doubt in my mind that she had sent me here deliberately > when she gave me the book of poetry and with it all the unanswered > questions. > > Collected Poems by Julian Adie, published 1980. On the title page is > an inscription by the author. /"To Elizabeth, always remembering > Corfu, what could have been and what we must both forget."/ > > To Elizabeth, my mother. > > Kouloura Bay -- ********************** Charles L. Sligh Department of English Wake Forest University slighcl at wfu.edu ********************** -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.uvic.ca/pipermail/ilds/attachments/20080724/2452f157/attachment.html -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: the-white-houseExt.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 17320 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://lists.uvic.ca/pipermail/ilds/attachments/20080724/2452f157/attachment.jpg -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: shuttersL.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 15395 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://lists.uvic.ca/pipermail/ilds/attachments/20080724/2452f157/attachment-0001.jpg -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: sunset-over-albania.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 7068 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://lists.uvic.ca/pipermail/ilds/attachments/20080724/2452f157/attachment-0002.jpg -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: shrine.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 23104 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://lists.uvic.ca/pipermail/ilds/attachments/20080724/2452f157/attachment-0003.jpg -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: white-house-rocks.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 25009 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://lists.uvic.ca/pipermail/ilds/attachments/20080724/2452f157/attachment-0004.jpg -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: boat-on-shore.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 28674 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://lists.uvic.ca/pipermail/ilds/attachments/20080724/2452f157/attachment-0005.jpg From godshawl at email.uc.edu Thu Jul 24 18:07:21 2008 From: godshawl at email.uc.edu (william godshalk) Date: Thu, 24 Jul 2008 21:07:21 -0400 Subject: [ilds] Spirits of Place -- the city In-Reply-To: <58116014-3551-4DE3-902E-3582CA5464A2@earthlink.net> References: <31519371.1216938957583.JavaMail.root@nskntwebs06p> <58116014-3551-4DE3-902E-3582CA5464A2@earthlink.net> Message-ID: >Das Leben ist verboten. Nein, nein, nien! Das ist alles was ich habe. >Bruce > > >On Jul 24, 2008, at 3:35 PM, wrote: > > > Mmmm....the balance and ratios of core qualities which define us are > > a great source of interest to you and old LD....self love and self > > hate....this is the essential tension that provides sustenance for > > life bruce and the manner in which this duality unfolds drives the > > evolution or devolution of personality, relationships and of course > > spirituality....best wishes DrD > > ---- Bruce Redwine wrote: > >> Charles sounds to me like a Formalists, those critics who like to > >> stick to a text and ignore an author's life. That is, if not > >> naive, a > >> rather idealistic approach to understanding what makes art what it > >> is. When looking at literature, I consider everything ? and most > >> importantly biography ? fair game. Durrell opens himself up to > >> criticism when he goes after other poets such as Horace. "Loeb's > >> Horace," a great poem, I find rather dishonest. As I've said before, > >> Durrell had a troubling need to attack rival poets. Maybe he did > >> hate > >> himself, and I'll keep the "maybe" in, for I'm not certain what went > >> on inside his head. Moreover, being called a Romantic is not such a > >> bad thing. They were diverse enough to include all of Charles's > >> points. > >> > >> > >> Bruce > >> > >> > >> On Jul 24, 2008, at 6:34 AM, slighcl wrote: > >> > >>> > >>> > >>> I think that those quickest to fault Durrell for his biographical > >>> peccadilloes--or for supposedly problematic connections between his > >>> art and his biography--miss several points. The first point point > >>> missed would be the recognition that, as someone abidingly skeptical > >>> about human nature and his own self-worth, Durrell has already > >>> reckoned up again and again his own partnership in our human crime-- > >>> his own and our own Arrant Knavery. "But of course--Have I ever > >>> claimed or pretended otherwise?"--that really seems to be Durrell's > >>> attitude via Pursewarden or the poems. "And what of yourself?" > >>> > >>> The second point missed would be to recognize that anyone seeking to > >>> catch out Durrell ends up sounding thoroughly naive, like someone > >>> who still believes in the perfectibility of the human project--i.e., > >>> like someone who obviously has not been attending to Durrell's > >>> questioning message. "Oh, Brother Ass!" > >>> > >>> > >> > > > > >_______________________________________________ >ILDS mailing list >ILDS at lists.uvic.ca >https://lists.uvic.ca/mailman/listinfo/ilds *************************************** W. L. Godshalk * Department of English * University of Cincinnati Stellar disorder * Cincinnati OH 45221-0069 * 513-281-5927 *************************************** From odos.fanourios at gmail.com Fri Jul 25 00:00:30 2008 From: odos.fanourios at gmail.com (James Gifford) Date: Fri, 25 Jul 2008 01:00:30 -0600 Subject: [ilds] ILDS Herald Message-ID: <48897A0E.60204@gmail.com> Hello all, Just a quick note to let you know the back issues of the ILDS /Herald/ are now available online through the ILDS website: http://www.lawrencedurrell.org/herald.htm Personal addresses and such have been removed, but they otherwise go back to 15 May 1984. If you notice any personal information we've missed, just let me know. Best, James ____________________________________ James Gifford Department of English Mount Royal College 4825 Mount Royal Gate SW Calgary, Alberta, T3E 6K6 http://members.shaw.ca/james.gifford From ian at ephemeris.plus.com Fri Jul 25 00:37:49 2008 From: ian at ephemeris.plus.com (Ian Sales) Date: Fri, 25 Jul 2008 08:37:49 +0100 Subject: [ilds] A Concordance of Durrell's writing In-Reply-To: <06.8D.13582.B6CC8884@gwout2> References: <32734325.1216767611188.JavaMail.root@elwamui-sweet.atl.sa.earthlink.net> <38C85EF3-4366-4FE9-8663-D3D4F3F3BA94@earthlink.net> <488884ED.2040505@wfu.edu> <4888A59C.5050709@gmail.com> <4888B759.8020902@wfu.edu> <4888BB07.1040007@gmail.com> <4888CB7C.90107@wfu.edu> <06.8D.13582.B6CC8884@gwout2> Message-ID: 2008/7/24 william godshalk : > Thanks. I didn't realize that LION included Durrell's work. > > I suppose we should think long and deep before creating our own. - why not a wiki? They're easy to set up, and proving very popular among fans of authors, books, films, etc. Here's an example of one for Frank Herbert's dune - http://dune.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page Definition of a wiki - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiki - ian -- It doesn't have to be right... it just has to sound plausible: http://justhastobeplausible.blogspot.com/ From odos.fanourios at gmail.com Fri Jul 25 09:01:03 2008 From: odos.fanourios at gmail.com (James Gifford) Date: Fri, 25 Jul 2008 10:01:03 -0600 Subject: [ilds] posting Message-ID: <4889F8BF.5020704@gmail.com> Hello all, I, again, post Anthony Durrell's comments to the list, though I'll remind everyone that he prefers not to join the list, so he won't see any responses you post here. Should you want to send comments to him, please write to him directly. Cheers, James From durrell at bigpond.com Thu Jul 24 15:35:57 2008 From: durrell at bigpond.com (durrell at bigpond.com) Date: Fri, 25 Jul 2008 8:35:57 +1000 Subject: [ilds] Spirits of Place -- the city Message-ID: <31519371.1216938957583.JavaMail.root@nskntwebs06p> Mmmm....the balance and ratios of core qualities which define us are a great source of interest to you and old LD....self love and self hate....this is the essential tension that provides sustenance for life bruce and the manner in which this duality unfolds drives the evolution or devolution of personality, relationships and of course spirituality....best wishes DrD ---- Bruce Redwine wrote: > Charles sounds to me like a Formalists, those critics who like to > stick to a text and ignore an author's life. That is, if not naive, a > rather idealistic approach to understanding what makes art what it > is. When looking at literature, I consider everything ? and most > importantly biography ? fair game. Durrell opens himself up to > criticism when he goes after other poets such as Horace. "Loeb's > Horace," a great poem, I find rather dishonest. As I've said before, > Durrell had a troubling need to attack rival poets. Maybe he did hate > himself, and I'll keep the "maybe" in, for I'm not certain what went > on inside his head. Moreover, being called a Romantic is not such a > bad thing. They were diverse enough to include all of Charles's points. > > > Bruce > > > On Jul 24, 2008, at 6:34 AM, slighcl wrote: > > > > > > > I think that those quickest to fault Durrell for his biographical > > peccadilloes--or for supposedly problematic connections between his > > art and his biography--miss several points. The first point point > > missed would be the recognition that, as someone abidingly skeptical > > about human nature and his own self-worth, Durrell has already > > reckoned up again and again his own partnership in our human crime-- > > his own and our own Arrant Knavery. "But of course--Have I ever > > claimed or pretended otherwise?"--that really seems to be Durrell's > > attitude via Pursewarden or the poems. "And what of yourself?" > > > > The second point missed would be to recognize that anyone seeking to > > catch out Durrell ends up sounding thoroughly naive, like someone > > who still believes in the perfectibility of the human project--i.e., > > like someone who obviously has not been attending to Durrell's > > questioning message. "Oh, Brother Ass!" > > > > > From bredwine1968 at earthlink.net Fri Jul 25 09:31:20 2008 From: bredwine1968 at earthlink.net (Bruce Redwine) Date: Fri, 25 Jul 2008 09:31:20 -0700 Subject: [ilds] posting In-Reply-To: <4889F8BF.5020704@gmail.com> References: <4889F8BF.5020704@gmail.com> Message-ID: <92431792-45A3-4E15-8C55-6ACA0496C3EC@earthlink.net> I don't understand this policy. It seems to me capricious, punitive, and half-baked. Either Dr. Durrell can post to the ILDS and get responses or he cannot post. I'm in favor of granting him full privileges. Whether or not he chooses to join the List makes no differences to me. Dr. Anthony Durrell is a breath of fresh air in an academic atmosphere that has become rather stale. Bruce On Jul 25, 2008, at 9:01 AM, James Gifford wrote: > Hello all, > > I, again, post Anthony Durrell's comments to the list, though I'll > remind everyone that he prefers not to join the list, so he won't see > any responses you post here. Should you want to send comments to him, > please write to him directly. > > Cheers, > James From odos.fanourios at gmail.com Fri Jul 25 10:15:27 2008 From: odos.fanourios at gmail.com (James Gifford) Date: Fri, 25 Jul 2008 11:15:27 -0600 Subject: [ilds] posting In-Reply-To: <92431792-45A3-4E15-8C55-6ACA0496C3EC@earthlink.net> References: <4889F8BF.5020704@gmail.com> <92431792-45A3-4E15-8C55-6ACA0496C3EC@earthlink.net> Message-ID: <488A0A2F.50509@gmail.com> Bruce, The listserv is hardly the place for this discussion, but for the sake of clarity for everyone, some direct response to your embarrassing posting is necessary -- for those who are not interested, I suggest skipping the message now. > Either Dr. Durrell can post to the ILDS > and get responses or he cannot post. This is entirely his decision, Bruce, as I have explained to you thoroughly in the past. There is no "policy" on this matter and no privileges are being denied him. Anthony Durrell refuses to accept messages from the list because he refuses to be a member. You are already fully aware of this, so I can only regard your message as disingenuous and an attempt to deceive others. He *can* post and receive responses; he *chooses* not to. Anyone can join at any time without any moderator permissions needed. Anthony Durrell has been invited, and he refuses. That is entirely his own decision, and the "half-baked" comments come purely from you and from him. It is highly abnormal to post to a list for which one is not a member, and it is entirely reasonable to remind list members that any responses they post to the list will not be sent to someone who prefers not to subscribe. Anthony has been denied *no* privileges whatsoever. He also contends that we have banned him and harassed him, all of which is demonstrably false and exists only in his own mind. No one has ever been banned or removed from this list, nor do we ever want that to happen -- to emphasize the point, he refuses to join and then says he's been banned. This sense of persecution has no relationship with reality, nor do your comments. Bruce, I am very disappointed by your dishonest representation of circumstances you know to be false. This is indeed "capricious" as you say, and I had hoped you would demonstrate at least a modicum of appropriate and honest behaviour. Most importantly, this topic has nothing to do with the list, and it will not be entertained further. While all of us believe in the principles of open dialogue and unrestrained debate, I will not permit you to distribute information you know to be untrue without a rebuttal. My apologies to all the list members for taking up your time with this -- hopefully this topic will not resurface, and we can return to some fruitful and productive discussion. Regards, James Bruce Redwine wrote: > I don't understand this policy. It seems to me capricious, punitive, > and half-baked. Either Dr. Durrell can post to the ILDS and get > responses or he cannot post. I'm in favor of granting him full > privileges. Whether or not he chooses to join the List makes no > differences to me. Dr. Anthony Durrell is a breath of fresh air in an > academic atmosphere that has become rather stale. > > > Bruce > > > On Jul 25, 2008, at 9:01 AM, James Gifford wrote: > >> Hello all, >> >> I, again, post Anthony Durrell's comments to the list, though I'll >> remind everyone that he prefers not to join the list, so he won't see >> any responses you post here. Should you want to send comments to him, >> please write to him directly. >> >> Cheers, >> James > _______________________________________________ > ILDS mailing list > ILDS at lists.uvic.ca > https://lists.uvic.ca/mailman/listinfo/ilds > From ilyas.khan at crosby.com Fri Jul 25 07:21:35 2008 From: ilyas.khan at crosby.com (Ilyas) Date: Fri, 25 Jul 2008 18:21:35 +0400 Subject: [ilds] posting In-Reply-To: <488A0A2F.50509@gmail.com> References: <4889F8BF.5020704@gmail.com> <92431792-45A3-4E15-8C55-6ACA0496C3EC@earthlink.net> <488A0A2F.50509@gmail.com> Message-ID: <427933C7-1941-47B7-B552-A87FA8446721@crosby.com> James - why do u waste your time on this issue with Bruce. Virtually all members know that dr Durrell refused to join. We all know he is free to join -and we all make our own judgment about Bruce and his actions Sent from my iPhone On Jul 25, 2008, at 9:15 PM, James Gifford wrote: > Bruce, > > The listserv is hardly the place for this discussion, but for the sake > of clarity for everyone, some direct response to your embarrassing > posting is necessary -- for those who are not interested, I suggest > skipping the message now. > >> Either Dr. Durrell can post to the ILDS >> and get responses or he cannot post. > > This is entirely his decision, Bruce, as I have explained to you > thoroughly in the past. There is no "policy" on this matter and no > privileges are being denied him. Anthony Durrell refuses to accept > messages from the list because he refuses to be a member. You are > already fully aware of this, so I can only regard your message as > disingenuous and an attempt to deceive others. He *can* post and > receive responses; he *chooses* not to. > > Anyone can join at any time without any moderator permissions needed. > Anthony Durrell has been invited, and he refuses. That is entirely > his > own decision, and the "half-baked" comments come purely from you and > from him. It is highly abnormal to post to a list for which one is > not > a member, and it is entirely reasonable to remind list members that > any > responses they post to the list will not be sent to someone who > prefers > not to subscribe. > > Anthony has been denied *no* privileges whatsoever. He also contends > that we have banned him and harassed him, all of which is demonstrably > false and exists only in his own mind. No one has ever been banned or > removed from this list, nor do we ever want that to happen -- to > emphasize the point, he refuses to join and then says he's been > banned. > This sense of persecution has no relationship with reality, nor do > your comments. > > Bruce, I am very disappointed by your dishonest representation of > circumstances you know to be false. This is indeed "capricious" as > you > say, and I had hoped you would demonstrate at least a modicum of > appropriate and honest behaviour. > > Most importantly, this topic has nothing to do with the list, and it > will not be entertained further. While all of us believe in the > principles of open dialogue and unrestrained debate, I will not permit > you to distribute information you know to be untrue without a > rebuttal. > > My apologies to all the list members for taking up your time with this > -- hopefully this topic will not resurface, and we can return to some > fruitful and productive discussion. > > Regards, > James > > > Bruce Redwine wrote: >> I don't understand this policy. It seems to me capricious, punitive, >> and half-baked. Either Dr. Durrell can post to the ILDS and get >> responses or he cannot post. I'm in favor of granting him full >> privileges. Whether or not he chooses to join the List makes no >> differences to me. Dr. Anthony Durrell is a breath of fresh air in >> an >> academic atmosphere that has become rather stale. >> >> >> Bruce >> >> >> On Jul 25, 2008, at 9:01 AM, James Gifford wrote: >> >>> Hello all, >>> >>> I, again, post Anthony Durrell's comments to the list, though I'll >>> remind everyone that he prefers not to join the list, so he won't >>> see >>> any responses you post here. Should you want to send comments to >>> him, >>> please write to him directly. >>> >>> Cheers, >>> James >> _______________________________________________ >> ILDS mailing list >> ILDS at lists.uvic.ca >> https://lists.uvic.ca/mailman/listinfo/ilds >> > _______________________________________________ > ILDS mailing list > ILDS at lists.uvic.ca > https://lists.uvic.ca/mailman/listinfo/ilds From bredwine1968 at earthlink.net Fri Jul 25 11:06:45 2008 From: bredwine1968 at earthlink.net (Bruce Redwine) Date: Fri, 25 Jul 2008 11:06:45 -0700 Subject: [ilds] posting In-Reply-To: <488A0A2F.50509@gmail.com> References: <4889F8BF.5020704@gmail.com> <92431792-45A3-4E15-8C55-6ACA0496C3EC@earthlink.net> <488A0A2F.50509@gmail.com> Message-ID: <5A8FB617-9AE4-4012-8D60-284B82B6012B@earthlink.net> My point is simple. Dr. Durrell is either in or he's out. If you want to punish him for not joining the List, then bar him from any kind of communication. Bruce On Jul 25, 2008, at 10:15 AM, James Gifford wrote: > Bruce, > > The listserv is hardly the place for this discussion, but for the sake > of clarity for everyone, some direct response to your embarrassing > posting is necessary -- for those who are not interested, I suggest > skipping the message now. > >> Either Dr. Durrell can post to the ILDS >> and get responses or he cannot post. > > This is entirely his decision, Bruce, as I have explained to you > thoroughly in the past. There is no "policy" on this matter and no > privileges are being denied him. Anthony Durrell refuses to accept > messages from the list because he refuses to be a member. You are > already fully aware of this, so I can only regard your message as > disingenuous and an attempt to deceive others. He *can* post and > receive responses; he *chooses* not to. > > Anyone can join at any time without any moderator permissions needed. > Anthony Durrell has been invited, and he refuses. That is entirely > his > own decision, and the "half-baked" comments come purely from you and > from him. It is highly abnormal to post to a list for which one is > not > a member, and it is entirely reasonable to remind list members that > any > responses they post to the list will not be sent to someone who > prefers > not to subscribe. > > Anthony has been denied *no* privileges whatsoever. He also contends > that we have banned him and harassed him, all of which is demonstrably > false and exists only in his own mind. No one has ever been banned or > removed from this list, nor do we ever want that to happen -- to > emphasize the point, he refuses to join and then says he's been > banned. > This sense of persecution has no relationship with reality, nor do > your comments. > > Bruce, I am very disappointed by your dishonest representation of > circumstances you know to be false. This is indeed "capricious" as > you > say, and I had hoped you would demonstrate at least a modicum of > appropriate and honest behaviour. > > Most importantly, this topic has nothing to do with the list, and it > will not be entertained further. While all of us believe in the > principles of open dialogue and unrestrained debate, I will not permit > you to distribute information you know to be untrue without a > rebuttal. > > My apologies to all the list members for taking up your time with this > -- hopefully this topic will not resurface, and we can return to some > fruitful and productive discussion. > > Regards, > James > > > Bruce Redwine wrote: >> I don't understand this policy. It seems to me capricious, punitive, >> and half-baked. Either Dr. Durrell can post to the ILDS and get >> responses or he cannot post. I'm in favor of granting him full >> privileges. Whether or not he chooses to join the List makes no >> differences to me. Dr. Anthony Durrell is a breath of fresh air in >> an >> academic atmosphere that has become rather stale. >> >> >> Bruce >> >> >> On Jul 25, 2008, at 9:01 AM, James Gifford wrote: >> >>> Hello all, >>> >>> I, again, post Anthony Durrell's comments to the list, though I'll >>> remind everyone that he prefers not to join the list, so he won't >>> see >>> any responses you post here. Should you want to send comments to >>> him, >>> please write to him directly. >>> >>> Cheers, >>> James >> _______________________________________________ >> ILDS mailing list >> ILDS at lists.uvic.ca >> https://lists.uvic.ca/mailman/listinfo/ilds >> > _______________________________________________ > ILDS mailing list > ILDS at lists.uvic.ca > https://lists.uvic.ca/mailman/listinfo/ilds From slighcl at wfu.edu Fri Jul 25 11:28:13 2008 From: slighcl at wfu.edu (slighcl) Date: Fri, 25 Jul 2008 14:28:13 -0400 Subject: [ilds] posting In-Reply-To: <5A8FB617-9AE4-4012-8D60-284B82B6012B@earthlink.net> References: <4889F8BF.5020704@gmail.com> <92431792-45A3-4E15-8C55-6ACA0496C3EC@earthlink.net> <488A0A2F.50509@gmail.com> <5A8FB617-9AE4-4012-8D60-284B82B6012B@earthlink.net> Message-ID: <488A1B3D.3080206@wfu.edu> On 7/25/2008 2:06 PM, Bruce Redwine wrote: > My point is simple. Dr. Durrell is either in or he's out. If you > want to punish him for not joining the List, then bar him from any > kind of communication. > > > This point is not a point because it lacks any relation to fact. The facts of case stand that the list made an effort to accept Dr. Anthony Durrell as Dr. Anthony Durrell. Dr. Durrell's subsequent actions--most especially refusal to subscribe to the listserv and his indirect posting to the listserv--have continually eroded the goodwill and patience that were originally extended to him. I think that James has posted a thorough and judicious account of the nature of the case. I send my thanks to Ilyas for speaking out on behalf of all of those list subscribers who have grown tired of an increasingly distracting non-issue. For my own part, I remain ready to read with interest any posting related to Durrell's life and writings and the curious subcultures that have grown up around them. For all parties interested in pursuing some other agenda, I have to express my disappointment. Really, I did expect much more. One question remains. Surely you could express your frustrated and negative energies in a less public, less embarrassing manner? Charles -- ********************** Charles L. Sligh Department of English Wake Forest University slighcl at wfu.edu ********************** From marcpiel at interdesign.fr Fri Jul 25 11:15:15 2008 From: marcpiel at interdesign.fr (Marc Piel) Date: Fri, 25 Jul 2008 20:15:15 +0200 Subject: [ilds] posting In-Reply-To: <5A8FB617-9AE4-4012-8D60-284B82B6012B@earthlink.net> References: <4889F8BF.5020704@gmail.com> <92431792-45A3-4E15-8C55-6ACA0496C3EC@earthlink.net> <488A0A2F.50509@gmail.com> <5A8FB617-9AE4-4012-8D60-284B82B6012B@earthlink.net> Message-ID: <488A1833.5010307@interdesign.fr> You guys had better go to bed and sleep it off!!!! Marc Piel Bruce Redwine a ?crit : > My point is simple. Dr. Durrell is either in or he's out. If you > want to punish him for not joining the List, then bar him from any > kind of communication. > > Bruce > > > On Jul 25, 2008, at 10:15 AM, James Gifford wrote: > >> Bruce, >> >> The listserv is hardly the place for this discussion, but for the sake >> of clarity for everyone, some direct response to your embarrassing >> posting is necessary -- for those who are not interested, I suggest >> skipping the message now. >> >>> Either Dr. Durrell can post to the ILDS >>> and get responses or he cannot post. >> This is entirely his decision, Bruce, as I have explained to you >> thoroughly in the past. There is no "policy" on this matter and no >> privileges are being denied him. Anthony Durrell refuses to accept >> messages from the list because he refuses to be a member. You are >> already fully aware of this, so I can only regard your message as >> disingenuous and an attempt to deceive others. He *can* post and >> receive responses; he *chooses* not to. >> >> Anyone can join at any time without any moderator permissions needed. >> Anthony Durrell has been invited, and he refuses. That is entirely >> his >> own decision, and the "half-baked" comments come purely from you and >> from him. It is highly abnormal to post to a list for which one is >> not >> a member, and it is entirely reasonable to remind list members that >> any >> responses they post to the list will not be sent to someone who >> prefers >> not to subscribe. >> >> Anthony has been denied *no* privileges whatsoever. He also contends >> that we have banned him and harassed him, all of which is demonstrably >> false and exists only in his own mind. No one has ever been banned or >> removed from this list, nor do we ever want that to happen -- to >> emphasize the point, he refuses to join and then says he's been >> banned. >> This sense of persecution has no relationship with reality, nor do >> your comments. >> >> Bruce, I am very disappointed by your dishonest representation of >> circumstances you know to be false. This is indeed "capricious" as >> you >> say, and I had hoped you would demonstrate at least a modicum of >> appropriate and honest behaviour. >> >> Most importantly, this topic has nothing to do with the list, and it >> will not be entertained further. While all of us believe in the >> principles of open dialogue and unrestrained debate, I will not permit >> you to distribute information you know to be untrue without a >> rebuttal. >> >> My apologies to all the list members for taking up your time with this >> -- hopefully this topic will not resurface, and we can return to some >> fruitful and productive discussion. >> >> Regards, >> James >> >> >> Bruce Redwine wrote: >>> I don't understand this policy. It seems to me capricious, punitive, >>> and half-baked. Either Dr. Durrell can post to the ILDS and get >>> responses or he cannot post. I'm in favor of granting him full >>> privileges. Whether or not he chooses to join the List makes no >>> differences to me. Dr. Anthony Durrell is a breath of fresh air in >>> an >>> academic atmosphere that has become rather stale. >>> >>> >>> Bruce >>> >>> >>> On Jul 25, 2008, at 9:01 AM, James Gifford wrote: >>> >>>> Hello all, >>>> >>>> I, again, post Anthony Durrell's comments to the list, though I'll >>>> remind everyone that he prefers not to join the list, so he won't >>>> see >>>> any responses you post here. Should you want to send comments to >>>> him, >>>> please write to him directly. >>>> >>>> Cheers, >>>> James >>> _______________________________________________ >>> ILDS mailing list >>> ILDS at lists.uvic.ca >>> https://lists.uvic.ca/mailman/listinfo/ilds >>> >> _______________________________________________ >> ILDS mailing list >> ILDS at lists.uvic.ca >> https://lists.uvic.ca/mailman/listinfo/ilds > > _______________________________________________ > ILDS mailing list > ILDS at lists.uvic.ca > https://lists.uvic.ca/mailman/listinfo/ilds > > From odos.fanourios at gmail.com Fri Jul 25 13:03:18 2008 From: odos.fanourios at gmail.com (James Gifford) Date: Fri, 25 Jul 2008 14:03:18 -0600 Subject: [ilds] CFP - Louisville conference Message-ID: <488A3186.2010702@gmail.com> Hello all, Below is a call for papers for general work in 20th century literature for the Louisville Conference on Literature and Culture since 1900. This CFP /does not/ displace the Durrell Society's usual two panels at the conference, the call for which will be circulated separately in the next couple of weeks. Please forward this on to any interested parties. It would be grand to have a lively and cooperative discussion between several different groups. My best, James ----------- Tradition, Transposition: Influence, Intertext The Louisville Conference on Literature and Culture Since 1900 http://modernlanguages.louisville.edu/conference/ Louisville, KY | 19-21 February For the 2009 Louisville Conference on Literature and Culture Since 1900, the International Lawrence Durrell Society is preparing a series of panels aimed at promoting dialogue and collaboration among the various societies and associations represented annually at the conference as well as other groups. To this end, we invite proposals for papers on a variety of topics that will promote discussion of Modernist authors in their milieu and across the Twentieth Century. Loosely, the established paradigms of plural Modernisms and of Late Modernism will unify the panels while thematic foci will provide avenues of discussion. Possible topics might include: + Writing the Mediterranean: H.D., Durrell, Woolf, Seferis, Cavafy, etc. + Editorial Interventions: From Blast to The Booster, Hogarth Press to Faber & Faber + The Interbellum Left Bank: Literary Paris from the 1920s to the 1930s + Poetics and Politics: Modernist Activism from Fascism, Liberalism, Socialism, to Anarchism + From Urban to Rural Landscapes: Hemingway, Eliot, Aldington, Woolf, Durrell + Reading 1922 to 1939: Ulysses to Finnegans Wake Framing Late Modernism + 1930s Radical Styles: Barnes' Nightwood, Miller's Tropic of Cancer, Beckett's Murphy, Durrell's Black Book, and so forth + Freud Ascendant: Reading the Dream Between the Wars + "Where are the War Poets?": Literature of WWI and WWII + Queering the Modern: Sexualities and/not Identities + From Imagism to English Surrealism and the Avant Garde + European Influences on Anglo-American Writing These topics need not limit proposals, and all papers that allow for meaningful dialogue between groups active in Twentieth Century literature will be considered. Papers relating two or more authors are particularly welcome, but this is not required. Ideally, panels will have topically related papers that then allow for discussion of the relations among authors. Papers on Pound, Eliot, Woolf, Joyce, H.D., Aldington, Durrell, Thomas, Barnes, Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Beckett, Miller, Nin, and their milieu are particularly welcome (the so-called High and Late modernists). These panels will not displace or disrupt the panels already held by individual societies. Instead, they will add to these existing panels by promoting interaction and mutual attendance. It will be possible to ensure panels do not conflict in the schedule. Not all panels or papers will address Durrell?s works or any other particular figure. After several years of successful panels on related authors occurring adjacent to each other, the present as an appropriate time to develop dialogue between these panels to further collaborative work and research. Send one-page proposals by 12 September 2008 to: James Gifford, Mount Royal College ____________________________________ James Gifford Department of English Mount Royal College 4825 Mount Royal Gate SW Calgary, Alberta, T3E 6K6 http://members.shaw.ca/james.gifford -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Louisville CFP.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 101118 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://lists.uvic.ca/pipermail/ilds/attachments/20080725/e6b2558d/attachment.pdf From lillios at mail.ucf.edu Sat Jul 26 07:02:53 2008 From: lillios at mail.ucf.edu (Anna Lillios) Date: Sat, 26 Jul 2008 10:02:53 -0400 Subject: [ilds] posting Message-ID: <488AF64D0200004D00035A2E@mail.ucf.edu> Hi everyone, Responding to James's post, I must say that being a moderator of a list can be enormously nerve-wracking. I was the sole editor of the Durrell list for many years prior to the transition to the current setup. I admit that I was more stringent about postings than James, Charles, and Bill are. I did, in fact, allow 99.9% of all postings to go through unhindered, but there were a few, which I can count on one hand, that were ad hominem attacks on other people that I held up. Generally, I would communicate behind the scenes with the parties involved and try to reach a resolution. I totally believe in free speech but I was also trying to preserve group morale, which is a very tricky business. I want to commend not only the current list moderators but also the contributors for making such great postings. I'm amazed at the time and effort people put into their thoughts in order to communicate to the rest of us. I confess that I've been a bit of a slacker these last two years, due to the fact that I have devoted all of my time to my two sons who are graduating from high school and off to college in the next month. But I have read all of the postings with much interest and often admiration for the ideas that were being expressed. Long live the Durrell list! --Anna Dr. Anna Lillios Associate Professor of English Department of English University of Central Florida P.O. Box 161346 Orlando, Florida 32816-1346 Phone: (407) 823-5161 FAX: (407) 823-6582 >>> James Gifford 07/25/08 1:15 PM >>> Bruce, The listserv is hardly the place for this discussion, but for the sake of clarity for everyone, some direct response to your embarrassing posting is necessary -- for those who are not interested, I suggest skipping the message now. > Either Dr. Durrell can post to the ILDS > and get responses or he cannot post. This is entirely his decision, Bruce, as I have explained to you thoroughly in the past. There is no "policy" on this matter and no privileges are being denied him. Anthony Durrell refuses to accept messages from the list because he refuses to be a member. You are already fully aware of this, so I can only regard your message as disingenuous and an attempt to deceive others. He *can* post and receive responses; he *chooses* not to. Anyone can join at any time without any moderator permissions needed. Anthony Durrell has been invited, and he refuses. That is entirely his own decision, and the "half-baked" comments come purely from you and from him. It is highly abnormal to post to a list for which one is not a member, and it is entirely reasonable to remind list members that any responses they post to the list will not be sent to someone who prefers not to subscribe. Anthony has been denied *no* privileges whatsoever. He also contends that we have banned him and harassed him, all of which is demonstrably false and exists only in his own mind. No one has ever been banned or removed from this list, nor do we ever want that to happen -- to emphasize the point, he refuses to join and then says he's been banned. This sense of persecution has no relationship with reality, nor do your comments. Bruce, I am very disappointed by your dishonest representation of circumstances you know to be false. This is indeed "capricious" as you say, and I had hoped you would demonstrate at least a modicum of appropriate and honest behaviour. Most importantly, this topic has nothing to do with the list, and it will not be entertained further. While all of us believe in the principles of open dialogue and unrestrained debate, I will not permit you to distribute information you know to be untrue without a rebuttal. My apologies to all the list members for taking up your time with this -- hopefully this topic will not resurface, and we can return to some fruitful and productive discussion. Regards, James Bruce Redwine wrote: > I don't understand this policy. It seems to me capricious, punitive, > and half-baked. Either Dr. Durrell can post to the ILDS and get > responses or he cannot post. I'm in favor of granting him full > privileges. Whether or not he chooses to join the List makes no > differences to me. Dr. Anthony Durrell is a breath of fresh air in an > academic atmosphere that has become rather stale. > > > Bruce > > > On Jul 25, 2008, at 9:01 AM, James Gifford wrote: > >> Hello all, >> >> I, again, post Anthony Durrell's comments to the list, though I'll >> remind everyone that he prefers not to join the list, so he won't see >> any responses you post here. Should you want to send comments to him, >> please write to him directly. >> >> Cheers, >> James > _______________________________________________ > ILDS mailing list > ILDS at lists.uvic.ca > https://lists.uvic.ca/mailman/listinfo/ilds > _______________________________________________ ILDS mailing list ILDS at lists.uvic.ca https://lists.uvic.ca/mailman/listinfo/ilds From slighcl at wfu.edu Sat Jul 26 07:34:42 2008 From: slighcl at wfu.edu (slighcl) Date: Sat, 26 Jul 2008 10:34:42 -0400 Subject: [ilds] all the news In-Reply-To: <488AF64D0200004D00035A2E@mail.ucf.edu> References: <488AF64D0200004D00035A2E@mail.ucf.edu> Message-ID: <488B3602.5090008@wfu.edu> On 7/26/2008 10:02 AM, Anna Lillios wrote: > But I have read all of the postings with much interest and often admiration for the ideas that were being expressed. Long live the Durrell list! > > Many thanks for the testimony and the appreciation, Anna. I hope that you will share an account of your summer travels. We have heard precious little here on the listserv about what happened at OMG in Paris. For anyone who attended: please feel encouraged to drop a line or two. Every best wish-- Charles -- ********************** Charles L. Sligh Department of English Wake Forest University slighcl at wfu.edu ********************** From godshawl at email.uc.edu Sat Jul 26 10:54:22 2008 From: godshawl at email.uc.edu (william godshalk) Date: Sat, 26 Jul 2008 13:54:22 -0400 Subject: [ilds] Panic Spring and Pied Piper of Lovers In-Reply-To: <488A1B3D.3080206@wfu.edu> References: <4889F8BF.5020704@gmail.com> <92431792-45A3-4E15-8C55-6ACA0496C3EC@earthlink.net> <488A0A2F.50509@gmail.com> <5A8FB617-9AE4-4012-8D60-284B82B6012B@earthlink.net> <488A1B3D.3080206@wfu.edu> Message-ID: <8D.F3.25180.1D46B884@gwout1> My copies arrived today. They are very attractive volumes published by ELS Editions at $25.00 each (American or Canadian I do not know). Pied Piper is edited and introduced by our James (aka James Gifford), and Panic Spring is edited by Jamie with an introduction by Richard Pine. These volumes should be on the shelves of all true Durrellians. Bill *************************************** W. L. Godshalk * Department of English * University of Cincinnati Stellar disorder * Cincinnati OH 45221-0069 * 513-281-5927 *************************************** From james.d.gifford at gmail.com Sat Jul 26 22:06:10 2008 From: james.d.gifford at gmail.com (James Gifford) Date: Sat, 26 Jul 2008 23:06:10 -0600 Subject: [ilds] Vintage Alexandria Message-ID: <488C0242.3060609@gmail.com> Hello all, I blush at Bill's comments, but closer to most hearts on the list is Michael Haag's new book on Alexandria: /Vintage Alexandria: Photographs of the City, 1860-1960/: http://www.internationalpubmarket.com/clients/auc/books/BookDetail.aspx?productID=185603 I believe this is also available through Amazon with a November USA release date, and having seen a very select portion of the proof, I'm sure it is a fine work indeed. I'm looking forward to my copy arriving as soon as it's released! Best, James ____________________________________ James Gifford Department of English Mount Royal College 4825 Mount Royal Gate SW Calgary, Alberta, T3E 6K6 http://members.shaw.ca/james.gifford From dtart at bigpond.net.au Sat Jul 26 21:44:56 2008 From: dtart at bigpond.net.au (Denise Tart & David Green) Date: Sun, 27 Jul 2008 14:44:56 +1000 Subject: [ilds] all the news References: <488AF64D0200004D00035A2E@mail.ucf.edu> <488B3602.5090008@wfu.edu> Message-ID: <000c01c8efa3$86df7bc0$0201a8c0@MumandDad> Amen. An account or six of OMG 2008 would be wonderful for those of us who were unable to go. DG Denise Tart & David Green 16 William Street, Marrickville NSW 2204 +61 2 9564 6165 0412 707 625 dtart at bigpond.net.au ----- Original Message ----- From: "slighcl" To: Sent: Sunday, July 27, 2008 12:34 AM Subject: [ilds] all the news > On 7/26/2008 10:02 AM, Anna Lillios wrote: > >> But I have read all of the postings with much interest and often >> admiration for the ideas that were being expressed. Long live the >> Durrell list! >> >> > Many thanks for the testimony and the appreciation, Anna. I hope that > you will share an account of your summer travels. > > We have heard precious little here on the listserv about what happened > at OMG in Paris. For anyone who attended: please feel encouraged to > drop a line or two. > > Every best wish-- > > Charles > > -- > ********************** > Charles L. Sligh > Department of English > Wake Forest University > slighcl at wfu.edu > ********************** > > > _______________________________________________ > ILDS mailing list > ILDS at lists.uvic.ca > https://lists.uvic.ca/mailman/listinfo/ilds > From odos.fanourios at gmail.com Sun Jul 27 09:31:29 2008 From: odos.fanourios at gmail.com (James Gifford) Date: Sun, 27 Jul 2008 10:31:29 -0600 Subject: [ilds] OMG XV In-Reply-To: <000c01c8efa3$86df7bc0$0201a8c0@MumandDad> References: <488AF64D0200004D00035A2E@mail.ucf.edu> <488B3602.5090008@wfu.edu> <000c01c8efa3$86df7bc0$0201a8c0@MumandDad> Message-ID: <488CA2E1.7000701@gmail.com> Hello all, > An account or six of OMG 2008 would be > wonderful for those of us who were > unable to go. I can only offer one perspective on OMG XV in Paris, so I'd like to see others! I also had a more sedate time since I chose to stay in Nanterre, nor do I have any significant photos from within the conference that I can share, but I know others do. Perhaps someone with a more adventurous spirit (or set of forced circumstances) can share a more exciting rendition of events... The conference began with a lovely reception at the home of Corinne Alexandre-Garner. Corinne is a gracious host, and it was a great chance to meet everyone and to have a quick chat before the academic talk got underway. Ian MacNiven was there after an absence in 2006, as were many long-time Durrellians, and it was good to see so many familiar faces. The conference itself took place on the campus of the Universit? de Paris X in Nanterre, which despite its penchant for self-criticism, I think is a lovely and convenient location. It made history in 1968, and its past faculty list is a vertiable "who's who" of the French intelligentsia. The peacocks were chiming in from time to time at the South of the campus, and the location was delightful in the beautiful conference salon. Naturally, on the first morning, the RER went on strike... Innovation and improvisation developed rapidly, and while Fiction didn't rush to the aid of Reality prime, we did at least have cab drivers and the train system above ground. This was my most confusing morning, since I foolishly adhered to my taboo against staying further than walking distance -- I woke, had coffee, established proof positive that French are fully capable of baking sad pastries from time to time, and then strolled for 30 minutes along the Seine until I arrived at the Universit? -- and an empty conference hall... The recovery was quick, and after a few programme shuffles, things were underway with some very fine papers. During the whole of the conference, the level of discussion and degree of engagement was stunning. I had (boastfully) thought Victoria developed a new level of discussion, and I was extremely happy to see the Parisians proving me wrong. My personal highlights included some strong discussions of Auden's and Durrell's poetry (though a piece still needs to be written on their mutual interest in Groddeck); Seferis and /Bitter Lemons/; a moving poetry reading by H.R. Stoneback; a great panel on the Villa Seurat; another on the Quintet with several very new ideas; and a beautiful bilingual production of "Sappho." Another strong feature of the conference was the presentation of the British Library and the Biblioth?que Lawrence Durrell, which described the nature of the works and their history, as held in Nanterre and London. Several presentations during the conference (I think in particular of the Quintet and Caesar's Vast Ghost) benefited from the potential to continue discussions over the mss. of these works held only a 5 minute walk away! We had several special events during the conference as well, all graciously organized by Corinne, Isabelle Keller, Murielle Phillips, and V. Maylin. These special events included not only the production of Sappho, but also a musical concert "Swing Between the Lines" by Cristina Delume and Beranrd Wystraete, a guided tour of Paris of the 1930s, Fr?d?ric-Jacques Temple's film on Lawrence Durrell from just after his move to France, a beautiful lunch at La Procope on the 4th of July, and (I was sad to miss this) a farewell dinner cruise on the Seine. Personally, my finest memories of the conference (apart from the excellent presentations and discussions) centre around Shakespeare and Company and delightful lunch-time conversations with friends and colleagues. The organizers, I say "Brava!" 2010 will have much work to do for our next French excursion to New Orleans, which I am already anticipating. Best, James From godshawl at email.uc.edu Sun Jul 27 11:42:38 2008 From: godshawl at email.uc.edu (william godshalk) Date: Sun, 27 Jul 2008 14:42:38 -0400 Subject: [ilds] Haag's Vintage Alexandria In-Reply-To: <488C0242.3060609@gmail.com> References: <488C0242.3060609@gmail.com> Message-ID: <7A.EB.25180.1A1CC884@gwout1> I just pre-ordered it with a discount from Amazon. Be the first kid on the block to own this book! Bill At 01:06 AM 7/27/2008, you wrote: >Hello all, > >I blush at Bill's comments, but closer to most hearts on the list is >Michael Haag's new book on Alexandria: /Vintage Alexandria: Photographs >of the City, 1860-1960/: > >http://www.internationalpubmarket.com/clients/auc/books/BookDetail.aspx?productID=185603 > > > >I believe this is also available through Amazon with a November USA >release date, and having seen a very select portion of the proof, I'm >sure it is a fine work indeed. I'm looking forward to my copy arriving >as soon as it's released! > >Best, >James >____________________________________ >James Gifford >Department of English >Mount Royal College >4825 Mount Royal Gate SW >Calgary, Alberta, T3E 6K6 >http://members.shaw.ca/james.gifford >_______________________________________________ >ILDS mailing list >ILDS at lists.uvic.ca >https://lists.uvic.ca/mailman/listinfo/ilds *************************************** W. L. Godshalk * Department of English * University of Cincinnati Stellar disorder * Cincinnati OH 45221-0069 * 513-281-5927 *************************************** From kvammen at hotmail.com Sun Jul 27 11:51:19 2008 From: kvammen at hotmail.com (John Kvammen) Date: Sun, 27 Jul 2008 18:51:19 +0000 Subject: [ilds] OMG XV Message-ID: Hello and thank you James for your account of OMG XV. It was nice to see old friends from Corfu and meet new friends in Paris. I am in Cairo and will be going to Alexandria in a few days with plans to visit Durrell sights. I have misplaced my notes and hope the group can help me with the location of Darly's tower (the Villa Ambrose I think). Thanks, John Kvammen> Date: Sun, 27 Jul 2008 10:31:29 -0600> From: odos.fanourios at gmail.com> To: ilds at lists.uvic.ca> Subject: [ilds] OMG XV> > Hello all,> > > An account or six of OMG 2008 would be > > wonderful for those of us who were> > unable to go.> > I can only offer one perspective on OMG XV in Paris, so I'd like to see > others! I also had a more sedate time since I chose to stay in > Nanterre, nor do I have any significant photos from within the > conference that I can share, but I know others do. Perhaps someone with > a more adventurous spirit (or set of forced circumstances) can share a > more exciting rendition of events...> > The conference began with a lovely reception at the home of Corinne > Alexandre-Garner. Corinne is a gracious host, and it was a great chance > to meet everyone and to have a quick chat before the academic talk got > underway. Ian MacNiven was there after an absence in 2006, as were many > long-time Durrellians, and it was good to see so many familiar faces.> > The conference itself took place on the campus of the Universit? de > Paris X in Nanterre, which despite its penchant for self-criticism, I > think is a lovely and convenient location. It made history in 1968, and > its past faculty list is a vertiable "who's who" of the French > intelligentsia. The peacocks were chiming in from time to time at the > South of the campus, and the location was delightful in the beautiful > conference salon.> > Naturally, on the first morning, the RER went on strike... Innovation > and improvisation developed rapidly, and while Fiction didn't rush to > the aid of Reality prime, we did at least have cab drivers and the train > system above ground. This was my most confusing morning, since I > foolishly adhered to my taboo against staying further than walking > distance -- I woke, had coffee, established proof positive that French > are fully capable of baking sad pastries from time to time, and then > strolled for 30 minutes along the Seine until I arrived at the > Universit? -- and an empty conference hall...> > The recovery was quick, and after a few programme shuffles, things were > underway with some very fine papers. During the whole of the > conference, the level of discussion and degree of engagement was > stunning. I had (boastfully) thought Victoria developed a new level of > discussion, and I was extremely happy to see the Parisians proving me > wrong. My personal highlights included some strong discussions of > Auden's and Durrell's poetry (though a piece still needs to be written > on their mutual interest in Groddeck); Seferis and /Bitter Lemons/; a > moving poetry reading by H.R. Stoneback; a great panel on the Villa > Seurat; another on the Quintet with several very new ideas; and a > beautiful bilingual production of "Sappho."> > Another strong feature of the conference was the presentation of the > British Library and the Biblioth?que Lawrence Durrell, which described > the nature of the works and their history, as held in Nanterre and > London. Several presentations during the conference (I think in > particular of the Quintet and Caesar's Vast Ghost) benefited from the > potential to continue discussions over the mss. of these works held only > a 5 minute walk away!> > We had several special events during the conference as well, all > graciously organized by Corinne, Isabelle Keller, Murielle Phillips, and > V. Maylin. These special events included not only the production of > Sappho, but also a musical concert "Swing Between the Lines" by Cristina > Delume and Beranrd Wystraete, a guided tour of Paris of the 1930s, > Fr?d?ric-Jacques Temple's film on Lawrence Durrell from just after his > move to France, a beautiful lunch at La Procope on the 4th of July, and > (I was sad to miss this) a farewell dinner cruise on the Seine.> > Personally, my finest memories of the conference (apart from the > excellent presentations and discussions) centre around Shakespeare and > Company and delightful lunch-time conversations with friends and colleagues.> > The organizers, I say "Brava!" 2010 will have much work to do for our > next French excursion to New Orleans, which I am already anticipating.> > Best,> James> _______________________________________________> ILDS mailing list> ILDS at lists.uvic.ca> https://lists.uvic.ca/mailman/listinfo/ilds _________________________________________________________________ Use video conversation to talk face-to-face with Windows Live Messenger. http://www.windowslive.com/messenger/connect_your_way.html?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_Refresh_messenger_video_072008 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.uvic.ca/pipermail/ilds/attachments/20080727/a7c1b921/attachment.html