Thematic section "Tzvetan Todorov"
Numéro 1 de la revue Ticontre. Teoria Testo Traduzione
Tzvetan Todorov’s intellectual evolution stands out among the most fruitful and varied in the history of literary criticism. His vast body of work includes over forty books and such titles as Théorie de la littérature (1965) – an anthology introducing Russian formalism to Western literary critique – Introduction à la littérature fantastique (1970) – possibly the most brilliant analysis of fantastic literature ever written – Poétique de la prose (1971), Qu’est-ce-que le structuralisme? (1977), Théories du symbole (1977), Mikhail Bakhtine. Le principe dialogique (1981), La conquête de l’Amerique (1982), Critique de la critique (1984), and more recent works, such as La vie commune. Essais d’anthropologie générale (1995),L’esprit des lumières (2006), and La littérature en peril (2007). Todorov has dealt with all the most influential cultural tendencies of the last 50 years: from the spread of structuralism to the “discovery” of Mikhail Bakhtin; from the success of cultural studies to the widespread interest for human sciences and the history of ideas.
To follow the unexpected turns, evolutions and reconsiderations in Todorov’s thinking is to retrace the history of literary criticism. His work amounts to a measuring tool, one which sheds a new light on how power relations have been shaped within the cultural domain.
This thematic section of Ticontre aims at investigating Todorov’s body of work in order to obtain a medium-term picture of the evolutions and reconsiderations which recently took place in the field of literary criticism, as well as to critically rethink the different phases of the literary theory of the past 50 years through the analysis of single or small groups of works.
Indeed, as cultural studies are losing momentum, it becomes necessary to inquire which aspects of the structuralist/semiotic turn should be retained by contemporary criticism, a goal already established by Cesare Segre - among others - in two books of his: Notizie dalla crisi, 1992, and Ritorno alla critica, 2001. Likewise, it is arguably time to assess whether there really was any overindulgence – and if so through which intemperances – in the post-structuralist wave which originated in the early Eighties and subsequently accounted for the inclination of cultural studies to focus on sheer theory disregarding any textual anchorage.
To this purpose, the following five lines of investigation seem particularly relevant:
Todorov’s structuralist and semiotic phase (e.g., Poétique de la prose and Théorie de la littérature). This may offer the opportunity to draw an assessment of the critical achievements of the structuralist methodology – so often underestimated in recent years – as well as of its outcomes, particularly in the field of narratology and semiotics. A reflection on the fantastic: a literary genre that has not been given any truly innovative theoretical definitions ever since Todorov’s celebrated essay. The reception of Mikhail Bakhtin’s theories: Todorov’s largely cultural understanding of the Russian literary critic tends to overlook the importance and pervasiveness of Bakhtin’s notion of the novel as the privileged site for heteroglossia. This interpretation of his was in fact adopted by literary critics in the United States and, even though less uniformly, in France. Cultural studies and history of ideas: Todorov’s reflection on the “Other” (La conquête de l’Amérique); his vision of human sciences - anthropology in particular - and his studies on the great systems of thought (e.g., L’ésprit des Lumières). The reception of Todorov’s works: the influence they have exerted in France, adoptive homeland of the Bulgarian literary critic; in the U.S.A., particularly on the wave of the “French Theory” during the heyday of deconstructionism and poststructuralism; in Italy, where Todorov’s first works on formalism gained him attention and recognition in the literary field, whereas his later works were more appreciated in different areas of human sciences (i.e., anthropology, sociology of culture); finally, the reception of Todorov in Russia, where his works were published later and more discontinuously than in other countries.
300-word abstract for 50,000 character papers (approx. 25 double-spaced pages, font: Courier New 12, margins 4 cm), with a separate, short (150 words) bio-bi should be sent totodorov@ticontre.org before September, 1st. Accepted contributions will undergo peer review before publications.
Please send inquiries to Carlo Tirinanzi De Medici, tirinanzi@gmail.com.
Submissions
Language: Italian, English, French, Spanish
Max length: 50,000 characters (approx. 25 double-spaced pages; font: Courier New 12; margins: 4 cm)
Abstract: 300 words
Bio-bibliographical note: 150 words
Deadline for abstracts & bio-bi: September, 1st, 2013
Notice of acceptance: September, 15th, 2013
Deadline for accepted contributions: November, 15th, 2013
Peer review: yes
Ticontre. Teoria Testo Traduzione.
Rivista semestrale registrata presso il tribunale di Trento, n° 14 dell'11 luglio 2013