[MGSA-L] New book publication "Barbarism and Its Discontents"

[Roland Moore]

From: Maria Boletsi <m.boletsi at hum.leidenuniv.nl>


Dear colleague, The following new book publication, though not primarily situated within Modern Greek studies, may be of interest to members of the list. I would be grateful if you could circulate the publication announcement to the MGSA list.

Kind regards,

Maria Boletsi
Assistant Professor
Department of Film and Comparative Literature
Leiden University van Wijkplaats 2 / 2311 BX 
Leiden, The Netherlands / Building 1162, room 103b 
tel. +31 (0)71 5272357



Publication date: January 2013 
Barbarism and Its Discontents 
By Maria Boletsi
Publisher: Stanford University Press

    Barbarism and civilization form one of the oldest and most rigid oppositions in Western history. According to this dichotomy, barbarism functions as the negative standard through which "civilization" fosters its self-definition and superiority by labeling others "barbarians." Since the 1990s, and especially since 9/11, these terms have become increasingly popular in Western political and cultural rhetoric—a rhetoric that divides the world into forces of good and evil. This study intervenes in this recent trend and interrogates contemporary and historical uses of barbarism, arguing that barbarism also has a disruptive, insurgent potential. Boletsi recasts barbarism as a productive concept, finding that it is a common thread in works of literature, art, and theory. By dislodging barbarism from its conventional contexts, this book reclaims barbarism's edge and proposes it as a useful theoretical tool.

For more information, visit: http://www.sup.org/book.cgi?id=21128
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