Jacques Derrida's Of Grammatology



This book was first published in the French language in 1967. It soon came out in an English translation. My original copy published in the nineteen seventies was lost in a house fire in 2001. I have since replaced it with the version you see above. 

Of Grammatology introduces fundamental concepts related to linguistics and writing, challenging the idea that writing is derivative from speech. Derrida's work has had a significant impact on post-structuralist thought over the years.

Back in the seventies, I carried it everywhere I went and discussed it with friends at the time. during our literary ponderings. Sometimes they got quite miffed at me and said I was like a newly recovered alcoholic who carried the Big Book everywhere they went. Well yes. They were spot on. It was my literary Big Book for sure, but sometimes I got a little too invasive with people when discussing words on paper. I could go on and on about this wonderful book, but I think this link to Wikipedia does the book better than anything else I could say about it.

OF GRAMMATOLOGY



 y

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Abigail: A Journey of Love and Transformation

Image
When Abigail the cat first came into Jerry's life from the no-kill shelter, she was a troubled child who had been brought back to the shelter from folks who didn't want to deal with her. Her past was marked by abandonment and rejection, leaving her wary of human affection and trust. Jerry picked her for this reason. Jerry and Abigail bonded over time. Despite her troubled beginnings, Jerry saw in her a spark of potential, a glimmer of hope that could transform her life The early days with Abigail were not easy. She was a biter and scratcher in her youth, expressing her fear and confusion through aggression. Jerry had the marks to prove it, but he never gave up on her. He understood that her behavior was a cry for help, a manifestation of her unresolved trauma. With patience and persistence, Jerry worked to gain her trust, a process that required not only physical healing but emotional growth as well. Jerry's approach was one of unconditional love and unwavering commitment. ...
Read more

Poets Live Ordinary Lives

Image
  "Remember, most poets live very ordinary lives. Yes, now and again you write a poem, and perhaps six, eight, or ten, or twelve times in your life if you're lucky, you collect them into a book and then there'll be worries about acceptance and rejection - what an editor will think - galleys to go over for errors, and finally presentation copies to give your friends - even some reviews, and maybe some readings, or a guest appearance, such as this one. But for every one of those, there are hundreds - there are thousands - of nights when you go to bed and lie there, once more, thinking about things you'll never remember in the morning, and hundreds - thousands - of mornings when you'll get up, still tired, and put up a pot of coffee and wait for it to drip through and decide it was silly not to have washed those dishes last night because you have to do it now. That's what poets do. That's what their lives are like..." Page 34 Dark Reflections by Samuel R....
Read more

THE DECLINE AND FALL OF THE AMERICAN REPUBLIC

Image
  A Narrative Poem by Ben Douglass  Once mighty and proud, we stood so tall, The American Republic for which we stand, The city on the hill, a beacon to all. But time marches on, relentless and true, And republics eventually fall, As history will prove. From golden dreams and boundless skies, To whispers of discontent That slowly arises. The cracks appeared, Our foundations shaken, No longer the land of the fearless. Wars fought for freedom, now tarnished with greed, Rights once so cherished, Now lost in the quick authoritarian fix. The voices unheard, the cries ignored, A tapestry of power, wealth and greed, Unraveling and bored. The streets once bustling with hope And might, now echo with shadows Of forgotten fights. Citizens divided, trust in tatters, The Republic crumbles As chaos spreads over the land. Economics falter, billionaires grow fat And arrogant, while the rest of us languish In a world of hurt. Promises broken, ideals & dreams now stained, By politicians who...
Read more