[ilds] Bisexuality and Beyond

[Bruce Redwine]

Which passages in the Quintet?  I don't sense this in the Quartet.  Has Durrell changed his attitude?  Seems unlikely.  If so, why?


Bruce


Sent from my iPhone

On Mar 21, 2011, at 8:40 AM, "Anne R Zahlan" <zahlan at earthlink.net> wrote:

> I do agree with James that Durrell privileges "fluidity in sexual identity" and with what I would take as corollary that Durrell did not condemn homosexuality or homosexuals--Scobie is arguably the Quartet's most delightful character. However, this discussion somehow reminded me of a conversation I had with Joseph Boone (of "Queering the Quartet") on the streets of Alexandria.  When I argued against the notion of homophobic elements in Durrell, Boone countered with "What about the Lesbians?"  I did feel compelled to grant him that point, especially on the basis of certain passages in the Quintet. 
>  
> Anne
>  
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "James Gifford" <james.d.gifford at gmail.com>
> To: <ilds at lists.uvic.ca>
> Sent: Monday, March 21, 2011 2:57 AM
> Subject: Re: [ilds] thank you
> 
> > Hi Rony,
> > 
> > It's worth noting that many of Durrell's ms./ts. letters at various 
> > archives relate to books lent but not returned, in particular books lent 
> > to Alf Perlès (and probably sold by him)...  My guess is that LD had the 
> > 1954 Freud/Fliess, lent and/or lost it, then reacquired the 1960 prior 
> > to the release of the Quartet as a whole.  He certainly had it in one 
> > form or another, and perhaps one of the English translations will match 
> > the epigram (I still think the 1954 does, but I don't have it ready to 
> > hand).  Durrell's annotated Groddeck volumes had legs too, walking off 
> > to all and sundry.
> > 
> > I'm quite sure Michael Haag had noted on this listerv that the 
> > censorship of the "bisexuality" from the epigram was Faber's work, not 
> > Durrell's, and the same occurred for the "modern love," which was 
> > originally "bisexual love."  Keeping those two points in mind from the 
> > epigram and the "investigation of modern love" certainly revises the 
> > nature of the Quartet significantly.  In the  opening pages, Cavafy and 
> > Balthazar go looking of the young boys, and then the anonymous Darley 
> > and his ungendered and unnamed lover go walking about for several 
> > sentences before she is finally revealed as female and subsequently as 
> > Melissa.
> > 
> > For LD's works, the openness to various forms of sexualities seems to be 
> > present from /Pied Piper/ forward, despite the homophobic jokes in /The 
> > Black Book/ (there's still a very good deal of privileging some kind of 
> > fluidity in sexual identity in that book as well as some intriguing 
> > notions of discovering sexuality over time).  I think the ideas 
> > solidified around notions of subjectivity just after the Quartet, hence 
> > the peculiarities about identify in /Revolt/ and later in the /Quintet/.
> > 
> > If you dig anything up on the 1954 copy, please let us know.  I 
> > photocopied it somewhere during my graduate work, but I think it's all 
> > in a storage locker now...  I'm sure the rest of the list would be 
> > interested in whatever you uncover.
> > 
> > Best,
> > James
> > 
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