excerpts from Thomas J.D. Amrecht's article in "The Gay & Lesbian Review," May-June 2005.
"To become an organized force and to effect change in the United States, queer people have had to identify themselves as a 'community' analogous to women, African-Americans, or other minorities. This kind of identity-based politics is known as either communitarianism or particularism in France, and is generally seen to be at odds with the universalist ideals upon which the Republic was founded, ideals considered to be a direct legacy of the Enlightenment." (p. 20)
"Grossman and Miclo contend that being homosexual has no meaning in French society: 'What does it mean to be homosexual? In the French Republic, neither more nor less than it means to be heterosexual. Happily so. As soon as the State gets involved in the private life or the morality of its citizens, one can be sure that the worst will happen.' What the authors do not seem to realize is that being homosexual does have meaning in France: it still means both cultural and legal disenfranchisement to some degree. They ignore the fact that the State is already involved in the life and morals of its citizens, although for most citizens (i.e., those heterosexuals who enjoy full enfranchisement in the culture and under the law), this involvement is usually invisible...
The legality of homosexual marriage is still in question in France...An even more blatant example of lingering discrimination in France are laws governing adoption, which do not recognize the rights of unmarried couples (including opposite-sex couples) to adopt, even if one member of the couple is the child's biological parent. The fact that French gay people can neither marry nor adopt proves that, contrary to Grossman and Miclo's assertions, being homosexual does have a particular meaning - a negative one - in the French Republic." (p. 21)
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Nightwood: Chapter 2 | La Somnambule
Note: please bring Nightwood with you to each class
Chapter Summary |
The chapter opens with the doctor, who lives near St. Sulpice in the 6th arrondissement. He brings Felix (both have returned to Paris from Vienna at this point) to the Café de la Mairie de VIe. The doctor is summoned to attend to a woman who has fainted in a nearby hotel. They go to the hotel and find Robin, laying on the floor of the room, unresponsive. Almost in the same instant as the doctor has managed to rouse her, he subsequently steals a one-hundred franc note from her bed (to Felix's astonishment).
Felix is immediately infatuated with Robin and pursues her. They spend time together in Paris - walking in gardens and museums. They marry and he takes her to Vienna to instill in her his ideas of grandeur and old society. Robin becomes pregnant and goes wandering - haunting the churches of Paris and beyond. Robin delivers a boy and feels nothing for the child. The chapter ends with her abandoning Felix and her son.
Chapter Notes |
Neurasthenia (p. 29): condition with symptoms of fatigue, anxiety, headache, impotence, neuralgia and depressed mood.
Pitt the younger (p. 30): was a British politician of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. He became the youngest Prime Minister in 1783.
the douanier Rousseau (p. 29): Henri Rousseau, painter (May 21, 1844 – September 2, 1910).
(Rousseau - “Le Rêve”, 1910)
dompteur: (p. 29)
(Painting: Juliette Gréco by Robert Humblot - Musée Carnavalet)
Chapter Summary |
The chapter opens with the doctor, who lives near St. Sulpice in the 6th arrondissement. He brings Felix (both have returned to Paris from Vienna at this point) to the Café de la Mairie de VIe. The doctor is summoned to attend to a woman who has fainted in a nearby hotel. They go to the hotel and find Robin, laying on the floor of the room, unresponsive. Almost in the same instant as the doctor has managed to rouse her, he subsequently steals a one-hundred franc note from her bed (to Felix's astonishment).
Felix is immediately infatuated with Robin and pursues her. They spend time together in Paris - walking in gardens and museums. They marry and he takes her to Vienna to instill in her his ideas of grandeur and old society. Robin becomes pregnant and goes wandering - haunting the churches of Paris and beyond. Robin delivers a boy and feels nothing for the child. The chapter ends with her abandoning Felix and her son.
Chapter Notes |
Neurasthenia (p. 29): condition with symptoms of fatigue, anxiety, headache, impotence, neuralgia and depressed mood.
Pitt the younger (p. 30): was a British politician of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. He became the youngest Prime Minister in 1783.
the douanier Rousseau (p. 29): Henri Rousseau, painter (May 21, 1844 – September 2, 1910).
(Rousseau - “Le Rêve”, 1910)
dompteur: (p. 29)
(Painting: Juliette Gréco by Robert Humblot - Musée Carnavalet)
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Monday, February 9, 2009
Prostitution in France
From Article 225-5 of the Code Pénal (partie législative) - prostitution is indeed legal in France; however, any form of proxénétisme is not. (This means pimping or profiting from someone else's prostitution or helping someone to become a prostitute).
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Nightwood Reading Guide | Chapter 1 Bow Down
House of Hapsburg (p. 1): the ruling Houses of Austria (and the Austrian Empire and its successors) where the dynasty reigned for over six centuries.
“Then walking in the Prater...” (p. 2): The Prater is a large public park in Vienna's 2nd district Leopoldstadt
"Then walking in the Prater he had been seen carrying in a conspicuously clenched fist the exquisite handkerchief of yellow and black linen that cried aloud of the ordinance of 1468, issued by one Pietro Barbo..." (p. 4): Pope Paul II, born Pietro Barbo, was Pope from 1464 until his death in 1471. "He decreed that Jews were to walk around the Roman Corso with a rope around their necks in order to amuse the Christian population" (taken fromThe Practice of Cultural Analysis Bal, Gonzales p. 153). This event highlights the historical persecution of the Jews. Felix is "heavy with impermissible blood" (p. 2)
Genuflexion (p. 2): the act of bending the knees in worship or reverence.
"Over the fireplace hung impressive copies of the Medici shield and, beside them the Austrian bird." (p. 5) The Medicis were a powerful and influential Florentine family from the 13th to 17th century.
The Medici shield
Heraldry (p. 5): Heraldry in its most general sense encompasses all matters relating to the duties and responsibilities of officers of arms. To most, though, heraldry is the practice of designing, displaying, describing, and recording coats of arms and badges.
Circumulocution (p.8 ): Using many words to describe something simple.
Loquacity (p. 8): the quality of being very talkative; garrulous.
"His rooms were taken because a Bourbon had been carried from them to death." (p. 9) The House of Bourbon was an important European royal house, a branch of the Capetian dynasty. Bourbon kings first ruled Navarre and France in the 16th century.
Madame de Sévigné (p. 9) was a French aristocrat, remembered for her letter-writing. Most of her letters, celebrated for their wit and vividness, were addressed to her daughter.
Goethe (p. 9) was a German writer (1800s).
Loyola (p. 9): Ignatius of Loyola was the principal founder and first Superior General of the Society of Jesus (16th century).
Brantôme (p. 9) was a French historian during the 16th century.
Ribaldry (p. 9): a genre of sexual entertainment.
Goy (p. 9): A Hebrew word for "nation" or "people".
Unexpurgated (p. 14): (of a piece of writing) not censored by having allegedly offensive passages removed.
Ameublement (p. 14): furnishings.
Jansenism (p. 15): The theological principles of Cornelis Jansen, which emphasize predestination, deny free will, and maintain that human nature is incapable of good. They were condemned as heretical by the Roman Catholic Church.
Prince Arthur Tudor (p. 15) was the first son of King Henry VII of England and Elizabeth of York, and therefore, heir to the throne of England and Wales.
King Henry VII (p. 15), King of England, Lord of Ireland, born Henry Tudor (Welsh Harri Tudur), was the first monarch of the Tudor dynasty.
Chamberlain (p. 15) is the officer in charge of managing the household of a sovereign or other noble figure.
Rutebeuf (p. 17) was a 13th century French writer.
Mountebank (p.17) is any charlatan or quack.
"...nor yet a thirteenth-century Salome dancing arse..." (p. 17): Salome was an icon of dangerous female seductiveness. Salome dancing before Herod or with the head of the Baptist on a charger have provided inspiration for Christian artists.
Leo X (p. 19), born Giovanni di Lorenzo de' Medici (December 11, 1475 – December 1, 1521) was Pope from 1513 to his death.
Gymnosophist (p. 20): any of a sect of ascetics in ancient India who went naked and practiced meditation.
Breton (p. 20) refers to Brittany.
Ponte Vecchio (p.23) is a Medieval bridge over the Arno River, in Florence, Italy, noted for still having shops built along it, as was once common.
The Arno (p. 23) is a river in the Tuscany region of Italy.
Norse Vessel (p. 24) is a Viking ship.
The Wittelsbach (p. 24) family is a European royal family and a German dynasty from Bavaria.
“Then walking in the Prater...” (p. 2): The Prater is a large public park in Vienna's 2nd district Leopoldstadt
"Then walking in the Prater he had been seen carrying in a conspicuously clenched fist the exquisite handkerchief of yellow and black linen that cried aloud of the ordinance of 1468, issued by one Pietro Barbo..." (p. 4): Pope Paul II, born Pietro Barbo, was Pope from 1464 until his death in 1471. "He decreed that Jews were to walk around the Roman Corso with a rope around their necks in order to amuse the Christian population" (taken fromThe Practice of Cultural Analysis Bal, Gonzales p. 153). This event highlights the historical persecution of the Jews. Felix is "heavy with impermissible blood" (p. 2)
Genuflexion (p. 2): the act of bending the knees in worship or reverence.
"Over the fireplace hung impressive copies of the Medici shield and, beside them the Austrian bird." (p. 5) The Medicis were a powerful and influential Florentine family from the 13th to 17th century.
The Medici shield
Heraldry (p. 5): Heraldry in its most general sense encompasses all matters relating to the duties and responsibilities of officers of arms. To most, though, heraldry is the practice of designing, displaying, describing, and recording coats of arms and badges.
Circumulocution (p.8 ): Using many words to describe something simple.
Loquacity (p. 8): the quality of being very talkative; garrulous.
"His rooms were taken because a Bourbon had been carried from them to death." (p. 9) The House of Bourbon was an important European royal house, a branch of the Capetian dynasty. Bourbon kings first ruled Navarre and France in the 16th century.
Madame de Sévigné (p. 9) was a French aristocrat, remembered for her letter-writing. Most of her letters, celebrated for their wit and vividness, were addressed to her daughter.
Goethe (p. 9) was a German writer (1800s).
Loyola (p. 9): Ignatius of Loyola was the principal founder and first Superior General of the Society of Jesus (16th century).
Brantôme (p. 9) was a French historian during the 16th century.
Ribaldry (p. 9): a genre of sexual entertainment.
Goy (p. 9): A Hebrew word for "nation" or "people".
Unexpurgated (p. 14): (of a piece of writing) not censored by having allegedly offensive passages removed.
Ameublement (p. 14): furnishings.
Jansenism (p. 15): The theological principles of Cornelis Jansen, which emphasize predestination, deny free will, and maintain that human nature is incapable of good. They were condemned as heretical by the Roman Catholic Church.
Prince Arthur Tudor (p. 15) was the first son of King Henry VII of England and Elizabeth of York, and therefore, heir to the throne of England and Wales.
King Henry VII (p. 15), King of England, Lord of Ireland, born Henry Tudor (Welsh Harri Tudur), was the first monarch of the Tudor dynasty.
Chamberlain (p. 15) is the officer in charge of managing the household of a sovereign or other noble figure.
Rutebeuf (p. 17) was a 13th century French writer.
Mountebank (p.17) is any charlatan or quack.
"...nor yet a thirteenth-century Salome dancing arse..." (p. 17): Salome was an icon of dangerous female seductiveness. Salome dancing before Herod or with the head of the Baptist on a charger have provided inspiration for Christian artists.
Leo X (p. 19), born Giovanni di Lorenzo de' Medici (December 11, 1475 – December 1, 1521) was Pope from 1513 to his death.
Gymnosophist (p. 20): any of a sect of ascetics in ancient India who went naked and practiced meditation.
Breton (p. 20) refers to Brittany.
Ponte Vecchio (p.23) is a Medieval bridge over the Arno River, in Florence, Italy, noted for still having shops built along it, as was once common.
The Arno (p. 23) is a river in the Tuscany region of Italy.
Norse Vessel (p. 24) is a Viking ship.
The Wittelsbach (p. 24) family is a European royal family and a German dynasty from Bavaria.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
A feminist blog, feministing.com, published a post about the article read in class, "My Sister's Keeper." The author of the post not only summarized the article, but also added her own critique of these communities.
Here is the link: http://www.feministing.com/archives/013483.html
Here is the link: http://www.feministing.com/archives/013483.html
City of Dark Nights | Djuna Barnes
"Perhaps the greatest enigma of Paris literary life between the wars was, and remains, Djuna Barnes. Men and women of all persuasions found her irresistible, falling for her considerable beauty, glamour, intelligence and sharp wit. Today, darker and more disturbing qualities than these continue to attract readers and scholars to her life and work...
Born in 1892, Djuna Barnes grew up in a 'bohemian' household which included not only her grandmother, parents and their three children, but one of her father's several mistresses and her various children. This family has been called sexually unconventional but is perhaps more aptly described as exploitative and sexually abusive...
In 1910, at the age of 18, Djuna started publishing poetry. Two years later she moved to Greenwich Village, began art studies...and found a reporting job...thus embarking on a journalistic career that would continue intermittently for 25 years."
Djuna came to Paris in 1919. Djuna, like many others, had a brief affair with Natalie Barney, the quintessential lesbian of Paris at the time. Djuna met the love of her life, Thelma Wood, an American silverpoint artist and sculptor in 1920.
"The first few years with Thelma Wood were genuinely joyful ones. From 1922, the two women lived together on the Left Bank, first at 173 Boulevard Saint-Germain and later at 9 rue Saint-Romain."
"Before the city of light became a city of dark nights for Djuna Barnes, she was an integral part of the vibrant female artistic community which congregated at Natalie Barney's Friday salon." In 1928, Barnes published Ladies' Almanack, it "quickly became the talk of the town, with much speculation as to who was who." The illustrated book was a satire of Natalie Barney's lesbian soirées and salon.
Barnes was a serious member of Modernist community in Paris. "The intrepid Djuna Barnes not only was on first-name basis with T.S. Eliot, but was also the only person allowed to call James Joyce 'Jim' - something that even Hemmingway didn't dare."
A sketch of James Joyce by Djuna Barnes
"In the writing of Nightwood, her greatest work, she began closest to home, with her relationship with Thelma - which by now was not ordinary by any standards - and over the years kept re-writing and transforming her novel towards the extraordinary, the fantastic and the bizarre...The initial relationship between Nora and Robin in Nightwood clearly recalls the early, idyllic days between Djuna and Thelma. But by 1924 or early 1925, the romance between Djuna and Thelma began to turn increasingly volatile, strained by their excessive drinking and Thelma's promiscuity...
A desire for revenge, an attempt to exorcise her personal demons, and those magical, inexplicable motives for which writers write, even in their darkest hours, were forces which combined to propel Djuna Barnes into the voracious writing project she engaged in for over eight years, from 1927 to 1935, which eventually became Nightwood."
Barnes: "Suffering is the decay of the heart. In the beginning, after Robin went away to America, I searched for her in the ports. I sought Robin in Marseille, in Tangier, in Naples, to understand her, to do away with my terror. I said to myself, I will do what she has done, I will love what she has loved, then I will find her again. At first it seemed that all I should have to do would be to become 'debauched,' to find the girls that she had loved; but I found that they were only girls that she had forgotten. I haunted the cafés where Robin had lived her nightlife; I drank with the men, I danced with the women, but all I knew was that others had slept with my lover."
"Ultimately Nightwood is much more than a road map to the disintegration of a tortured love affair. It has been considered a visionary allegorical tale of the rising tide of fascism across Europe...Some have read it as a feminist reworking of Dante's Divine Comedy, in which the price paid for personal and sexual freedom is judgement and damnation; others have claimed it is a lesbian rage against the clergy."
Barnes' writing is not easy to follow. Janet Flanner (American journalist and writer in Paris) recounted, "Djuna had written a play that she showed to T.S. Eliot; he told her that it contained the most splendid archaic language he had ever had the pleasure of reading but that, frankly, he couldn't make head or tail of its drama. She gave it to me to read, and I told her, with equal candor, that it was the most sonorous vocabulary I had ever read but that I did not understand jot or title of what it was saying. With withering scorn, she said, 'I never expected to find that you were as stupid as Tom Eliot.' I thanked her for the only compliment she had ever given me."
_Andrea Weiss
Paris Was a Woman: Portraits from the Left Bank
(Excerpts taken from Chapter 4: City of Dark Nights, pp. 142-173)
Sunday, February 1, 2009
My Sister's Keeper
The New York Times
February 1, 2009
By SARAH KERSHAW
THEY called it a lesbian paradise, the pioneering women who made their way to St. Augustine, Fla., in the 1970s to live together in cottages on the beach. Finding one another in the fever of the gay rights and women’s liberation movements, they built a matriarchal community, where no men were allowed, where even a male infant brought by visitors was cause for debate.
Read the rest of the article here...
What do you think of this?
Why is it politically problematic?
February 1, 2009
By SARAH KERSHAW
THEY called it a lesbian paradise, the pioneering women who made their way to St. Augustine, Fla., in the 1970s to live together in cottages on the beach. Finding one another in the fever of the gay rights and women’s liberation movements, they built a matriarchal community, where no men were allowed, where even a male infant brought by visitors was cause for debate.
Read the rest of the article here...
What do you think of this?
Why is it politically problematic?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
