Date: Wed, 4 Jul 2001 12:58:19 -0600 (MDT) From: "Patrick M. Krueger" <Patrick.Krueger-AT-Colorado.EDU> Subject: RE: if -- And knowing that foucault was a french theorist, writing at the time that he did, and at one time served as a pupil to althessuer, helps one to understand how his writings relate to (resonate with and resist) the themes of structuralism, existentialism, and psychoanalysis extant in the same or prior time periods. knowing that foucault was a homosexual, into bath houses, part of a marginalized group in france, and seeing gay/lesbian/queer identity politics playing out in the US, might inform our understanding of why he dis-favored writing with a "face" or otherwise getting involved in identity politics (at least overtly, in his writing). knowing his sexual preferences might also clarify his interest in the body as a site through with power is inscribed. i interpreted your phrase "explain a text" as if a all writing were nothing more than a reflection of biographical circumstance (perhaps a mis-interpretation on my part). to "inform," on the other hand, i mean that biographical information may elucidate some of the sub-texts, potentially clarify the author's motives for making particular arguments, or otherwise build a richer (not necessarily better or more perfect or even necessary) context within which to read the text. pmk On Wed, 4 Jul 2001, Paul Bryant wrote: > > Then specify what it means for something to "inform" a reading that > the immanence of the text could not provide on its own. Paul
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