Race, Nation, Translation: South African Essays, 1990-2013 Essays. Selections

The first collection of nonfiction critical writings by one of the leading literary figures of post-apartheid South Africa The most significant nonfiction writings of Zoë Wicomb, one of South Africa’s leading authors and intellectuals, are collected here for the first time in a single volume. This compilation features critical essays on the works of such prominent South African writers as Bessie Head, Nadine Gordimer, Njabulo Ndebele, and J. M. Coetzee, as well as writings on gender politics, race, identity, visual art, sexuality, and a wide range of other cultural and political topics. Also included are a reflection on Nelson Mandela and a revealing interview with Wicomb. In these essays, written between 1990 and 2013, Wicomb offers insight on her nation’s history, policies, and people. In a world in which nationalist rhetoric is on the rise and diversity and pluralism are the declared enemies of right-wing populist movements, her essays speak powerfully to a wide range of international issues. CONTENTS 5 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 7 INTRODUCTION: ZOË WICOMB’S SOUTH AFRICAN ESSAYS: INTERTEXTUAL ETHICS, TRANSLATIVE POSSIBILITIES, AND THE CLAIMS OF DISCURSIVE VARIETY 11 Part One. HEARING THE VARIETY OF DISCOURSES 47 1. TRACING THE PATH FROM NATIONAL TO OFFICIAL CULTURE (1991) 47 2. NATION, RACE, AND ETHNICITY: BEYOND THE LEGACY OF VICTIMS (1991, 1992) 63 3. CULTURE BEYOND COLOR? A SOUTH AFRICAN DILEMMA (1993) 68 4. READING, WRITING, AND VISUAL PRODUCTION IN THE NEW SOUTH AFRICA (1995) 76 5. TO HEAR THE VARIETY OF DISCOURSES (1990) 91 6. MOTHERHOOD AND THE SURROGATE READER: RACE, GENDER, AND INTERPRETATION (1994) 102 7. SHAME AND IDENTITY: THE CASE OF THE COLOURED IN SOUTH AFRICA (1995–98) 124 8. REMEMBERING NELSON MANDELA (2013) 138 Part Two. INTERTEXTUALITY AND THE POSTCOLONIAL AUTHOR 143 9. FIVE AFRIKANER TEXTS AND THE REHABILITATION OF WHITENESS (1997–98) 143 10. J. M. COETZEE’S DISGRACE: TRANSLATIONS IN THE YARD OF AFRICA (2002) 167 11. REREADING GORDIMER’S JULY’S PEOPLE (2005, 2007) 180 12. NATURAL NARRATIVE AND TALL TALES: REMEMBERING DISTRICT SIX (2006, 2012) 198 13. “GOOD RELIABLE FICTIONS”: NOSTALGIA, NARRATION, AND THE LITERARY NARRATIVE (2011) 213 14. IDENTITY, WRITING, AND AUTOBIOGRAPHY: THE CASE OF BESSIE HEAD’S THE CARDINALS (1994) 227 15. SETTING, INTERTEXTUALITY, AND THE RESURRECTION OF THE POSTCOLONIAL AUTHOR (2004, 2005) 239 16. COETZEE’S SLOW MAN AND THE REAL: A LESSON IN READING AND WRITING (2009) 251 Part Three. INTERVIEW 271 INTERTEXTUALITIES, INTERDISCOURSES, AND INTERSECTIONALITIES: AN INTERVIEW WITH ZOË WICOMB 271 Appendix 1. TRANSCRIPT OF BOETA DICKIE IN CONVERSATION 293 Appendix 2. TRANSLATED TRANSCRIPT OF BOETA DICKIE IN CONVERSATION 297 NOTES 301 BIBLIOGRAPHY 339 INDEX 353 The first collection of nonfiction critical writings by one of the leading literary figures of post-apartheid South Africa The most significant nonfiction writings of Zo Wicomb, one of South Africas leading authors and intellectuals, are collected here for the first time in a single volume. This compilation features essays on the works of such prominent South African writers as Bessie Head, Nadine Gordimer, Njabulo Ndebele, and J. M. Coetzee, as well as on a wide range of cultural and political topics, including gender politics, sexuality, race, identity, nationalism, and visual art. Also presented here are a reflection on Nelson Mandela and a revealing interview with Wicomb. In these essays, written between 1990 and 2013, Wicomb offers insights into her nations history, politics, and people. In a world in which nationalist rhetoric is on the rise and right-wing populist movements are the declared enemies of diversity and pluralism, her essays speak powerfully to a host of current international issues. The most significant nonfiction writings of Zoë Wicomb, one of South Africa's leading authors and intellectuals, are collected here for the first time in a single volume. This compilation features essays on the works of such prominent South African writers as Bessie Head, Nadine Gordimer, Njabulo Ndebele, and J. M. Coetzee, as well as on a wide range of cultural and political topics, including gender politics, sexuality, race, identity, nationalism, and visual art. Also presented here are a reflection on Nelson Mandela and a revealing interview with Wicomb. In these essays, written between 1990 and 2013, Wicomb offers insights into her nation's history, politics, and people. In a world in which nationalist rhetoric is on the rise and right-wing populist movements are the declared enemies of diversity and pluralism, her essays speak powerfully to a host of current international issues Zoë Wicomb ; Edited By Andrew Van Der Vlies. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 329-342) And Index.