Untimely beggar : poverty and power from Baudelaire to Benjamin

This highly original book takes as its starting point a central question for nineteenth- and twentieth-century literature and philosophy: how to represent the poor? Covering the period from the publication of Les Fleurs du Mal in 1857 to the composition of Benjamin’s final texts in the 1930s, Untimely Beggar investigates the coincidence of two modern literary and philosophical interests: representing the poor and representing potential. To take account of literature’s relation to the poor, Patrick Greaney proposes the concept of impoverished writing, which withdraws from representing objects and registers the existence of power. By reducing itself to the indication of its own potential, by impoverishing itself, literary language attempts to engage and participate in the power of the poor. This focus on impoverished language offers new perspectives on major French and German authors, including Marx, Nietzsche, Mallarm?, Rilke, and Brecht; and makes significant contributions to recent debates about power and potential in thinkers such as Agamben, Deleuze, Foucault, Hardt, and Negri. In doing so, Greaney offers significant insights into modernity’s intense philosophical and literary interest in socioeconomic poverty. Patrick Greaney is assistant professor of German studies at the University of Colorado, Boulder. Contents......Page 8 Poverty and Power......Page 10 Hannah Arendt and the Language of Compassion......Page 13 Impoverished Language......Page 15 The Poor and the Worker......Page 17 Relating to the Poor......Page 18 The Untimely Beggar......Page 19 A New Kind of Power......Page 20 A Modern Tradition......Page 23 The Marginality of the Poor......Page 26 Heidegger Defines Power......Page 27 Amputated Power......Page 30 Logos and the Work......Page 32 Marx and the Accumulation of Misery......Page 34 Pauperism......Page 35 The Disabled Worker......Page 37 The Unnameable Proletariat......Page 39 Disciplinary Power......Page 43 Biopower......Page 46 Infamy......Page 49 The Crowd’s Uncanny Presence......Page 50 Bored Community in The Flowers of Evil......Page 52 ”This Crazy Energy”......Page 55 Baudelaire’s Question: “What to Do?”......Page 57 Baudelaire’s Answer: “Let’s Beat Up the Poor!”......Page 61 Augury and Creation......Page 63 Beggarly Authority......Page 65 Submitting to the Poor......Page 68 An Ascetic Poet......Page 71 Communication and Currency......Page 73 Privative Concepts......Page 77 Giving Alms......Page 80 The End of the Poem and a New Form of Poetry......Page 84 The Rhyming Cutlass......Page 86 A Virtual Renegade......Page 89 The Impoverished Throw of the Dice......Page 91 Asceticism and Art......Page 96 Difference and Language......Page 99 Zarathustra’s Shame......Page 103 The Voluntary Beggar......Page 105 The Richest Poverty in the Dionysus Dithyrambs......Page 108 The Will to Deceive......Page 111 Rilke as Reader......Page 120 “The Book of Poverty and Death”......Page 124 Without Qualities......Page 125 From Metaphor to Simile......Page 127 A Great LIKE-Poet......Page 129 Losing Mastery......Page 133 Critiques of Asceticism......Page 134 Poverty’s Luster......Page 137 Malte’s Calm, Malte’s Vehemence......Page 141 A Sign Only Outcasts Would Recognize......Page 143 Being-in-the-World......Page 145 Being-With......Page 147 Being-Written......Page 151 There Is No Choice, No Refusal......Page 154 Love......Page 155 Facelessness and Whatever Being......Page 158 St. Francis......Page 160 Malte’s Indifferent Writing......Page 161 Rilke’s Untimely Modernity......Page 165 Barbarians......Page 168 Aura’s Last Refuge......Page 172 Glass Architecture......Page 174 Habit Production in Scheerbart and Brecht......Page 178 Used and Usable Man......Page 180 Quotable Poetry for City Dwellers......Page 184 Brecht and Benveniste......Page 186 Hooligans and a New Humanity......Page 188 In Transit......Page 190 James Ensor, the Destructive Character, and the Obstinate Beggar......Page 191 Acknowledgments......Page 196 Notes......Page 198 B......Page 244 F......Page 246 H......Page 247 M......Page 248 N......Page 249 R......Page 250 S......Page 251 Z......Page 252 Contents 8 Introduction: The Beggar and the Promised Land of Cannibalism 10 Poverty and Power 10 Hannah Arendt and the Language of Compassion 13 Impoverished Language 15 The Poor and the Worker 17 Relating to the Poor 18 The Untimely Beggar 19 A New Kind of Power 20 A Modern Tradition 23 1. Impoverished Power 26 The Marginality of the Poor 26 Heidegger Defines Power 27 Amputated Power 30 Logos and the Work 32 Marx and the Accumulation of Misery 34 Pauperism 35 The Disabled Worker 37 The Unnameable Proletariat 39 Disciplinary Power 43 Biopower 46 2. Let’s Get Beat Up by the Poor! 49 Infamy 49 The Crowd’s Uncanny Presence 50 Bored Community in The Flowers of Evil 52 ”This Crazy Energy” 55 Baudelaire’s Question: “What to Do?” 57 Baudelaire’s Answer: “Let’s Beat Up the Poor!” 61 Augury and Creation 63 Beggarly Authority 65 Submitting to the Poor 68 3. Poetic Rebellion in Mallarmé 71 An Ascetic Poet 71 Communication and Currency 73 Privative Concepts 77 Giving Alms 80 The End of the Poem and a New Form of Poetry 84 The Rhyming Cutlass 86 A Virtual Renegade 89 The Impoverished Throw of the Dice 91 4. The Transvaluation of Poverty 96 Asceticism and Art 96 Difference and Language 99 Zarathustra’s Shame 103 The Voluntary Beggar 105 The Richest Poverty in the Dionysus Dithyrambs 108 The Will to Deceive 111 5. Rilke and the Aestheticization of Poverty 120 Rilke as Reader 120 “The Book of Poverty and Death” 124 Without Qualities 125 From Metaphor to Simile 127 A Great LIKE-Poet 129 Losing Mastery 133 Critiques of Asceticism 134 Poverty’s Luster 137 6. An Outcast Community 141 Malte’s Calm, Malte’s Vehemence 141 A Sign Only Outcasts Would Recognize 143 Being-in-the-World 145 Being-With 147 Being-Written 151 There Is No Choice, No Refusal 154 Love 155 Facelessness and Whatever Being 158 St. Francis 160 Malte’s Indifferent Writing 161 Rilke’s Untimely Modernity 165 7. Exposed Interiors and the Poverty of Experience 168 Barbarians 168 Aura’s Last Refuge 172 Glass Architecture 174 Habit Production in Scheerbart and Brecht 178 Used and Usable Man 180 Quotable Poetry for City Dwellers 184 Brecht and Benveniste 186 Hooligans and a New Humanity 188 In Transit 190 James Ensor, the Destructive Character, and the Obstinate Beggar 191 Acknowledgments 196 Notes 198 Index 244 A 244 B 244 C 246 D 246 E 246 F 246 G 247 H 247 I 248 J 248 K 248 L 248 M 248 N 249 O 250 P 250 R 250 S 251 T 252 U 252 V 252 W 252 Z 252

This highly original book takes as its starting point a central question for nineteenth- and twentieth-century literature and philosophy: how to represent the poor?

 

Covering the period from the publication of Les Fleurs du Mal in 1857 to the composition of Benjamin’s final texts in the 1930s, Untimely Beggarinvestigates the coincidence of two modern literary and philosophical interests: representing the poor and representing potential. To take account of literature’s relation to the poor, Patrick Greaney proposes the concept of impoverished writing, which withdraws from representing objects and registers the existence of power. By reducing itself to the indication of its own potential, by impoverishing itself, literary language attempts to engage and participate in the power of the poor.

 

This focus on impoverished language offers new perspectives on major French and German authors, including Marx, Nietzsche, Mallarmé, Rilke, and Brecht; and makes significant contributions to recent debates about power and potential in thinkers such as Agamben, Deleuze, Foucault, Hardt, and Negri. In doing so, Greaney offers significant insights into modernity’s intense philosophical and literary interest in socioeconomic poverty.

 

Patrick Greaney is assistant professor of German studies at the University of Colorado, Boulder.

This highly original book takes as its starting point a central question for nineteenth- and twentieth-century literature and philosophy: how to represent the poor?

 

Covering the period from the publication of Les Fleurs du Mal in 1857 to the composition of Benjamin’s final texts in the 1930s, Untimely Beggarinvestigates the coincidence of two modern literary and philosophical interests: representing the poor and representing potential. To take account of literature’s relation to the poor, Patrick Greaney proposes the concept of impoverished writing, which withdraws from representing objects and registers the existence of power. By reducing itself to the indication of its own potential, by impoverishing itself, literary language attempts to engage and participate in the power of the poor.

 

This focus on impoverished language offers new perspectives on major French and German authors, including Marx, Nietzsche, Mallarmé, Rilke, and Brecht; and makes significant contributions to recent debates about power and potential in thinkers such as Agamben, Deleuze, Foucault, Hardt, and Negri. In doing so, Greaney offers significant insights into modernity’s intense philosophical and literary interest in socioeconomic poverty.

 

Patrick Greaney is assistant professor of German studies at the University of Colorado, Boulder.

This highly original book takes as its starting point a central question for nineteenth- and twentieth-century literature and philosophy: how to represent the poor? Covering the period from the publication of Les Fleurs du Mal in 1857 to the composition of Benjamin's final texts in the 1930s, Untimely Beggar investigates the coincidence of two modern literary and philosophical interests: representing the poor and representing potential. To take account of literature's relation to the poor, Patrick Greaney proposes the concept of impoverished writing, which withdraws from representing objects and registers the existence of power. By reducing itself to the indication of its own potential, by impoverishing itself, literary language attempts to engage and participate in the power of the poor. This focus on impoverished language offers new perspectives on major French and German authors, including Marx, Nietzsche, Mallarmé, Rilke, and Brecht; and makes significant contributions to recent debates about power and potential in thinkers such as Agamben, Deleuze, Foucault, Hardt, and Negri. In doing so, Greaney offers significant insights into modernity's intense philosophical and literary interest in socioeconomic poverty. Patrick Greaney is assistant professor of German studies at the University of Colorado, Boulder. "This ... book takes as its starting point a central question for nineteenth- and twentieth-century literature and philosophy: how to represent the poor? Covering the period from the publication of Les Fleurs du Mal in 1857 to the composition of Benjamin's final texts in the 1930s, Untimely Beggar investigates the coincidence of two modern literary and philosophical interests: representing the poor and representing potential. To take account of literature's relation to the poor, Patrick Greaney proposes the concept of impoverished writing, which withdraws from representing objects and registers the existence of power. By reducing itself to the indication of its own potential, by impoverishing itself, literary language attempts to engage and participate in the power of the poor. This focus on impoverished language offers new perspectives on major French and German authors, including Marx, Nietzsche, Mallarme, Rilke, and Brecht; and makes significant contributions to recent debates about power and potential in thinkers such as Agamben, Deleuze, Foucault, Hardt, and Negri. In doing so, Greaney offers significant insights into modernity's intense philosophical and literary interest in socioeconomic poverty." -- Publisher description