Further Excursions into The Flesh of Words...

Some summer-y summary comments:

It would seem interesting to discuss some of the political context around Mandelstam's work. I'm not too familiar with the poetics of the Acme group, but some of their poetics statements seem to recall the more classical inspirations behind high modernism, the modernism of Pound and Lewis, in other words.

No Exit 

Below, I've attached the essay by Althusser to which Rancière refers when discussing theatre and politics. The 1962 piece, "The 'Piccolo Teatro':Bertolazzi and Brecht" can be found in Pour Marx. I think Rancière’s analysis is comprehensible without direct reference to the text, but having it available might help further any future discussion. His points on Don Quixote certainly invoke for me the novel's enduring popularity within postmodernist criticism. The image of the mad speaker in the desert, calling out to no one provides the perfect textual counterpart to the truth of the book. Bereft of a metaphysical source behind the writing, of all revelatory missives to take to the masses, we find instead a self-reflexive text perpetually mimicking the gestures of communication without actually communicating. Thus, I suppose, we find ourselves as critics/readers caught between two equally problematic modes of writing: the text as a transparent reproduction of speech and the text as an opaque self-justifying structure.

re: Rancière’s preface, on the fascinating discursive line he introduces there between word and flesh, between writing and experience. The current (18 June) NYT weekend edition examines the unique level of loyalty Star Trek fans (trekkies?) habitually show towards their cultural fetish of choice. I’ve never been very interested in this television series, though the past week has found me rather intrigued by episodes of the show’s latest incarnation, “Enterprise” – too late, alas, to understand completely the narrative behind the program, but I appreciate the creative inspiration behind this particular franchise of the show. Rather than extend the narrative further into the future, “Enterprise” introduces viewers to the very first crew of the fabled ship (set a century before the 1960s series takes place) and weaves together stories about its origins and initial launch. The technology, sets, storylines, etc. are meant to resemble more closely contemporary culture. It is funny, I must admit, watching the characters use transporters for the first time. Unfortunately it seems too few viewers shared my curiosity, for the show was cancelled some time ago. But here’s the real catch: the mere act of cancelling a show no longer ensures its termination due to the media technologies now available to the “people” or “demos” living life on the other side of the camera. Disturbed by the fact that no new Star Trek shows are being written, the viewers have taken on this responsibility themselves and have continued to write and produce their own films for presentation and distribution on the Internet.

It’s interesting to note that few prior forms of cultural production have seemed to inspire this level of repetition. I suppose that mythology comes closest with different classical populations obviously adding their own versions of inherited myths as their cultural literacy continues to grow and develop. What does this have to do with Rancière? Admittedly, not that much.  Except that I wonder if this interesting reversal from viewer to producer might parallel Rancière’s notes on the second ending to the Gospel of John. We discussed how Rancière uses this type of ending to introduce a certain logical “paradox” whereby the success of a text is often measured by its capacity to overcome itself as a mode of representation to become literally a community of acts as opposed to words; (to go boldly where everyone has gone before?). In deed, the article led me to speculate on a science-fiction narrative of my own, in which the present world reaches some apocalyptic end, whether natural or political, and survivors strive to re-commune and re-build, much as did the early Christians and Jews post 70 C.E. after the destruction of Jerusalem. Only this time, the sole text, i.e., Logos, remaining as guide is Star Trek, thus inspiring an entirely new post-apocalypse culture where the history of western culture is re-written, re-remembered according to the series’ various narratives. Imagine the new churches. … And then I thought, what if Moses coming down from the mountain was actually this little play that someone wrote several thousands of years ago… and…

Below is the link to the article:

Click here for the article