Jonathan Ball's Blog, page 54
July 14, 2014
Is Žižek a copycat? Yes, please!
It’s the most boring scandal to ever rock the literary world: cultural philosopher Slavoj Žižek has been accused of plagiarism. Not only is the charge pointless and trumped-up, it’s completely uninteresting.
What is interesting, however, is that fact that copying and various forms of plagiarism (including, most notably, self-plagiarism) are essential to Žižek’s writing style. Since it stands peripheral to the concerns of this so-called “scandal,” I thought I’d get self-indulgent for a moment and quote for you from my recent book John Paizs’s Crime Wave. This part doesn’t have much to do with John Paizs’s film Crime Wave, but it has everything to do with Žižek and copying:
As Hillel Schwartz displays, in The Culture of the Copy [(New York: Zone 1996)], copying as an aesthetic practice persists throughout and across cultures and periods, and is fundamental to the notion of culture itself (for cultures to exist, ideologies must repeat; as [Marcus] Boon notes, “even the ideology of individuality and/or uniqueness is mass-produced.” [Marcus Boon, In Praise of Copying (Cambridge: Harvard UP, 2010), 182.]) Appropriately, copying is not just the subject of cultural theories like Schwartz’s, but often part and parcel of theoretical practice itself, which repeats and modifies already existing ideas while literally reproducing the words of previous authors through citation. The writings of Slavoj Žižek, despite his antipathy for postmodernism, stand as exemplary of this postmodern literary practice of pastiche: Žižek will often copy the words of other writers, with variations he then notes and makes the subject of his discussion, and will even copy his own insights, structures of argument, and written passages from book to book. Moreover, Žižek presents himself not just as a student of both Lacan and Hegel, but also to some degree as a repetition of both. Žižek’s “return to Lacan” extends Lacan’s theory through a Hegelian lens (or vice versa), in the same way that Lacan’s “return to Freud” presented itself as a project that discovered, already latent within Freud’s work, various ideas of which Freud himself was unaware (in a sense, repeating Freud’s psychoanalytic procedure to interpret not dreams but The Interpretation of Dreams). Lacan presents himself as reproducing Freud’s work in a form supposedly more faithful to Freud than Freud himself could manage, before developments in other disciplines, and Žižek repeats this gesture by reproducing Lacan’s theories in a Hegelian light that Žižek proposes was already latent in Lacan’s work. Psychoanalytic theory, then, often presents itself as “continuing the master’s work” while extending and overwriting the original: copying or “doubling” is an integral concept both within the theory and in its historical development. Thus Žižek appears as a “tribute artist” who “covers” Lacan – himself a “tribute artist” who repeats Freud – who used to comment that all of his “original” insights were to be found, already, in Nietzsche – who, in a similar fashion, cited the influence of Dostoevsky. There are many political and rhetorical reasons for these kinds of gestures – including a diplomatic borrowing of authority under the cover of a concomitant ceding of authority, and as a modelling of the psychoanalytic method of “discovering” repression encoded in/created by the symptom – but such gestures are also, as Paizs’s work makes clear, artistic and aesthetic choices. As well, [Linda] Hutcheon would surely note, they are ironic gestures (in the psychoanalytic example, an ironic insistence on servitude designed to secure and display mastery).
It is also worth repeating one of my own citations of Žižek, from inside the book:
Žižek, The Plague of Fantasies [(London: Verso, 1997)], 121. As an example of how Žižek copies himself, the quoted passage and the paragraph within which it is embedded also appear in his Organs Without Bodies: Deleuze and Consequences (New York: Routledge, 2004), 96. In the latter book, as is often the case in his writings, Žižek repeats the paragraph verbatim but begins to alter and expand his points near its end.
June 1, 2014
Maintenance
I’m reworking and relaunching the site over the summer, so it will look and function poorly for the next little while. It’s still (mostly) functional, however.
Sign up on the right for my mailing list and I will let you know when the site is re-launched and awesome — also, I will send you a short story at that time.
In the meantime, bear with me, and thanks for visiting.
April 28, 2014
Thank You, Manitoba!
Thanks to everyone — especially to my wonderful publishers, BookThug, Coach House Books, University of Toronto Press,and Insomniac Press — for supporting me and my writing. I’m thrilled to win my second Manitoba Book Award, this time the John Hirsch Award for Most Promising Manitoba Writer.
The press release with the other winners is reproduced below. You can also check out the previous post, which lists all of the shortlisted authors, who deserve some accolades as well.
For Immediate Release: The 2013 Manitoba Book Awards Winners Announced
WINNIPEG, MANITOBA April 27, 2014 – The Manitoba Writers’ Guild, with the assistance of the Association of Manitoba Book Publishers, presented the annual Manitoba Book Awards with a gala event this past Sunday, April 27th at the West End Cultural Centre.
This year’s award winners in thirteen categories are:
Lansdowne Prize for Poetry / Prix Lansdowne de poésie
Tether by Laurelyn Whitt, published by Seraphim Editions
Best Illustrated Book of the Year / Meilleur livre illustré de l’année
300 Years of Beer: An Illustrated History of Brewing in Manitoba by Bill Wright & Dave Craig, published by Great Plains Publications, design by Relish New Brand Experience Inc.
Manuela Dias Book Design of the Year / Prix Manuela-Dias de conception graphique en édition
100 Masters: Only in Canada by Stephen Borys and Andrew Kear, published by the Winnipeg Art Gallery, design by Frank Reimer
Eileen McTavish Sykes Award for Best First Book
Breathing Life into the Stone Fort Treaty: An Anishinabe Understanding of Treaty One, by Aimée Craft, published by Purich Publishing Ltd.
Michael Van Rooy Award for Genre Fiction
Thunder Road, by Chadwick Ginther published by Ravenstone (an imprint of Turnstone Press)
Carol Shields Winnipeg Book Award / Prix littéraire Carol-Shields de la ville de Winnipeg
Stuck in the Middle: Dissenting Views of Winnipeg, photographs by Bryan Scott, text by Bartley Kives, published by Great Plains Publications.
Margaret Laurence Award for Fiction
The Insistent Garden by Rosie Chard, published by NeWest Press
Alexander Kennedy Isbister Award for Non-Fiction / Prix Alexander-Kennedy-Isbister pour les études et essais
“Indians Wear Red”: Colonialism, Resistance and Aboriginal Street Gangs by Elizabeth Comack, Lawrence Deane, Larry Morrissette & Jim Silver, published by Fernwood Publishing
John Hirsch Award for Most Promising Manitoba Writer / Prix John-Hirsch pour l’écrivain manitobain le plus prometteur
Jonathan Ball
Mary Scorer Award for Best Book by a Manitoba Publisher / Prix Mary-Scorer pour le meilleur livre par un éditeur du Manitoba
Manitoba Butterflies: A Field Guide by Simone Hébert Allard, published by Turnstone Press
McNally Robinson Book for Young People Award
YOUNGER CATEGORY:
Powwow Counting in Cree, by Penny M. Thomas, published by HighWater Press (an imprint of Portage & Main Press)
OLDER CATEGORY:
The Fall, by Colleen Nelson, published by Great Plains Teen Fiction
McNally Robinson Book of the Year
Kisiskatchewan:The Great River Road, by Barbara Huck, published by Heartland Associates Inc.
The Manitoba Writers’ Guild and the Association of Manitoba Book Publishers would like to thank the following organizations and corporations for their continued sponsorship of the Manitoba Book Awards:
The Canada Council for the Arts / Conseil des arts du Canada
Friesens
The Manitoba Arts Council / Conseil des arts du Manitoba
The Manitoba Foundation for the Arts
Manitoba Tourism, Culture, Heritage, Sport and Consumer Protection / Tourisme, Culture, Patrimoine, Sport et Protection du consommateur du Manitoba
McNally Robinson Booksellers
Prairie Fire Press Inc.
The Winnipeg Arts Council / Conseil des arts du Winnipeg
The Winnipeg Foundation
The Winnipeg International Writers Festival / Festival International des écrivains de Winnipeg
The Writers’ Collective
March 28, 2014
Shortlisted for a Manitoba Book Award!
A nice nod as I prepare to jet out of the province for my Montreal reading: I’ve been shortlisted for a Manitoba Book Award! The John Hirsch Award for Most Promising Manitoba Writer, which is exciting but a bit of pressure. I’ve made too many promises!
Congratulations to everyone shortlisted. I’ve reproduced the press release for you:
The Manitoba Writers’ Guild, with the assistance of the Association of Manitoba Book Publishers, is happy to announce the 2013 Manitoba Book Awards Nominees:
Alexander Kennedy Isbister Award for Non-Fiction | Prix Alexander-Kennedy-Isbister pour les études et essais
Breathing Life into the Stone Fort Treaty: An Anishinabe Understanding of Treaty One / Aimée Craft / Purich Publishing Ltd.
Canadian Policing in the 21st Century / Robert Chrismas / McGill-Queen’s University Press.
The Constructed Mennonite: History, Memory, and the Second World War / Hans Werner / University of Manitoba Press
“Indians Wear Red”: Colonialism, Resistance and Aboriginal Street Gangs / Elizabeth Comack, Lawrence Deane, Larry Morrissette & Jim Silver / Fernwood Publishing
Best Illustrated Book of the Year | Meilleur livre illustré de l’année
300 Years of Beer: An Illustrated History of Brewing in Manitoba / Bill Wright & Dave Craig / Great Plains Publications / design by Relish New Brand Experience
Confessions sans pénitence / Lise Gaboury-Diallo / Les Éditions du Blé / graphiste Philippe Dupas / illustrations par Denis Devigne
Itty Bitty Bits / Anita Daher / Peanut Butter Press / illustrations by Wendy Bailey / design by Melanie Matheson, Blue Claw Studio
Would Someone Please Answer the Parrot! / by Beryl Young / Peanut Butter Press / llustrations by Jason Doll / design by Lee Huscroft
Eileen McTavish Sykes Award for Best First Book
Breathing Life into the Stone Fort Treaty: An Anishinabe Understanding of Treaty One / Aimée Craft / Purich Publishing Ltd.
Happiness Threads, The Unborn Poems / Melanie Dennis Unrau / The Muse’s Company, J G Shillingford
The Lake and the Library / S.M. Beiko / ECW Press Ltd.
Carol Shields Winnipeg Book Award | Prix littéraire Carol-Shields de la ville de Winnipeg
Rebel Without a Pause: A Memoir / Nick Ternette / Roseway Publishing, an imprint of Fernwood Publishing
The Silent March / by C.M. Klyne / Self-published
Stuck in the Middle: Dissenting Views of Winnipeg / text by Bartley Kives, photographs by Bryan Scott / Great Plains Publications
Tombstone Blues / Chadwick Ginther / Ravenstone Books, an imprint of Turnstone Press
The Wittenbergs / Sarah Klassen / Turnstone Press.
John Hirsch Award for Most Promising Manitoba Writer
Jonathan Ball
Melanie Dennis Unrau
Laurelyn Whitt
Lansdowne Prize for Poetry | Prix Lansdowne de poésie
Sûtra / J. R. Léveillé / Les Éditions du Blé
Tempo / Barthélemy Bolivar / Les Éditions du Blé
Tether / Laurelyn Whitt / Seraphim Editions
Manuela Dias Book Design of the Year | Prix Manuela-Dias de conception graphique en édition
100 Masters: Only in Canada / Stephen Borys with Andrew Kear / the Winnipeg Art Gallery / design by Frank Reimer
300 Years of Beer: An Illustrated History of Brewing in Manitoba / Bill Wright & Dave Craig / published by Great Plains Publications /design by Relish New Brand Experience.
Confessions sans pénitence / Lise Gaboury-Diallo / Les Éditions du Blé / graphiste Philippe Dupas / illustrations par Denis Devigne
Pīsim Finds Her Miskanow / William Dumas / HighWater Press (an imprint of Portage & Main Press) / design by Relish New Brand Experience Inc. / illustrations by Leonard Paul
Powwow Counting in Cree / Penny M. Thomas / HighWater Press (an imprint of Portage & Main Press), design by Relish New Brand Experience Inc., illustrations by Melinda Josie
Margaret Laurence Award for Fiction
The Insistent Garden / Rosie Chard / NeWest Press
Sebastiano’s Vine / Carmelo Militano / Ekstasis Editions
Ten Lords A Leaping / C.C. Bennison / Doubleday Canada
Wolf River / Margaret Riddell / Self-published
The Wittenbergs / Sarah Klassen / Turnstone Press
Mary Scorer Award for Best Book by a Manitoba Publisher | Prix Mary-Scorer pour le meilleur livre par un éditeur du Manitoba
300 Years of Beer: An Illustrated History of Brewing in Manitoba / Bill Wright and Dave Craig / Great Plains Publications
Condemned to Repeat: A Randy Craig Mystery / Janice MacDonald / Ravenstone, an imprint of Turnstone Press
Manitoba Butterflies: A Field Guide / Simone Hébert Allard / Turnstone Press
The Wittenbergs / Sarah Klassen / Turnstone Press
McNally Robinson Book for Young People Award – Younger Category
A Walk in Pirate’s Cove / Marisa Hochman / 36 Peonies Publishing Inc.
Powwow Counting in Cree / Penny M. Thomas / HighWater Press (an imprint of Portage & Main Press),
Surviving the Hindenburg / Larry Verstraete / Sleeping Bear Press
McNally Robinson Book for Young People Award – Older Category
The Fall / Colleen Nelson / Great Plains Teen Fiction
The Gypsy King / Maureen Fergus / Penguin Canada Books Inc
Pīsim Finds Her Miskanow / William Dumas / HighWater Press (an imprint of Portage & Main Press)
McNally Robinson Book of the Year
The Constructed Mennonite: History, Memory, and the Second World War / Hans Werner / University of Manitoba Press
Kisiskatchewan: The Great River Road / Barbara Huck / Heartland Associates Inc.
The Secret Mask / Rick Chafe / Playwrights Canada Press
Michael Van Rooy Award for Genre Fiction (2012/2013)
Food for the Gods: An Epikurean Epic / Karen Dudley / Turnstone Press
Gethsemane Hall / David Annandale / Dundurn
Thunder Road / Chadwick Ginther/ Turnstone Press
The Manitoba Writers’ Guild would like to thank this year’s awards sponsors:
Canada Council for the Arts
Friesen’s
Manitoba Arts Council
McNally Robinson Booksellers
Manitoba Tourism, Culture, Sport and Consumer Protection
Prairie Fire Press Inc.
Winnipeg Arts Council
The Winnipeg Foundation
Winnipeg International Writers’ Festival
The Writers’ Collective
The 2013 Manitoba Book Awards take place Sunday April 27, 2014 at the West End Cultural Centre. Doors open at 6:30 pm and the ceremonies begin at 7:00 pm. Admission is FREE.
March 25, 2014
March 30: Montreal reading with Jon Paul Fiorentino, Sandra Alland and Eileen Myles
My recents spate of readings will conclude with an appearance at the Pop Montreal festival, where I’m excited to read alongside Jon Paul Fiorentino, Sandra Alland; and Eileen Myles! The evening is hosted by Sarah Burgoyne, Matrix magazine, and the Summer Literary Seminars (SLS).
Sunday, March 30, 8:00 p.m. @ Blizzarts, 3956 Saint Laurent Boulevard – (here’s the Facebook event page)
I was the LitPop Poetry Award winner in 2008, which earned me a free pass to this festival (amongst other things), and it remains a career highlight. I saw Nick Cave! It was killer. You should definitely check this festival out.
March 21, 2014
March 24: Reading in Winnipeg with Elizabeth Bachinsky
Thrilled about another reading that will happen soon, alongside Elizabeth Bachinsky! This will be part of In Dialogue, a reading series by the Manitoba Writers’ Guild. The readings will be followed by a conversation, which will all take place at the Winnipeg Free Press News Café, 237 McDermot Ave, 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $10.
March 18, 2014
March 19: Vancouver Play Chthonics Poetry Reading with Natalie Simpson at Green College, UBC
Come join me and Natalie Simpson at Vancouver’s Green College, at the University of British Columbia!
The event takes place March 19 from 5 – 6 p.m.! Don’t miss out on what promises to be the poetry event from 5-6 p.m. in Vancouver at Green College! Of the year!!!
Here’s the Facebook invite. I’m not good at Facebook, so it may not say I’m attending. But I am!
March 14, 2014
Yes or No? : A Clockfire by David Long
David Long captures the spirit of my book Clockfire with his own impossible play:
Yes or No?
On the way to your seat you are given a pen and paper which reads “fill the dot for yes or no.” The curtain opens but there is nothing to see, just stuttering voices of many people saying “yes or no?” You can’t leave until you fill in a dot. If you choose no, you leave not knowing what just happened. If you choose yes then you become one of the voices for the next showing, and one of the voices becomes you and leaves.
David Long lives in Kelowna, BC. He has a degree in 3D Animation and is now enjoying his first year of Computer Science at Okanagan College. When he is not writing, you will find him sewing flight suits
March 5, 2014
Talking to Randall King of the Winnipeg Free Press about my book about Crime Wave
Thanks to Randall King for interviewing me, both at the Winnipeg Free Press Cafe and for a newspaper article, both of which you can find online.
