UA Book Looks at the Secrets of Life and Death Through Literature

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Death and language are intertwined, according to a book edited by a University of Alabama professor who specializes in modern French literature.

The book, entitled “Death, Language, Thought,” examines life and literature from a philosophical standpoint. When humankind, millennia ago, gained a consciousness of unavoidable death, it developed art as a coping mechanism. That belief is put forth by French philosopher Gérard Bucher who analyzes the connection between death and poetry as a way to understand life.

Bucher’s hypothesis, called thanatopoesis, is tied to the myth of Orpheus, considered one of the first artistic attempts to understand the secrets of life and death through literature. In this myth, poetry allows Orpheus to cross the threshold between life and death and bring back some knowledge about life’s secrets.

The book is a volume of essays initially based on the International Association for Philosophy and Literature conference in 2001 where papers were presented on Bucher’s work, L’imagination de l’origine. Dr. Metka Zupanèiè c

ompiled, expanded and edited the presentation into its existing form. Zupanèiè is an associate professor of French/modern languages in UA’s department of modern languages and classics in the College of Arts and Sciences.

The title of the book was modeled after a collection of essays written by acclaimed philosopher Martin Heidegger called “Poetry, Language and Thought.”

“It was an honor to have among our writers Michel Deguy, a leading French poet and philosopher, whose essay was translated by another contributor, Wilson Baldridge, who has previously translated Deguy’s poetry,” Zupanèiè said.

The scholars comment on Bucher’s thoughts on the emergence in prehistoric times of what is known as the mytho-logo-poietic. Bucher suggests that the Greek myths are a kind of record of when early civilized man became conscious and developed a perception of the unity of the universe.

They point out that Bucher’s ideas are unique in that he applies these ancient ideas to 20th century literature and builds on modern philosophers, such as Nietzsche, Kierkegaard and Heidegger to establish his theoretical approach.

Bucher places his highest hopes in literature and the way in which it can redefine death or thoughts on death. He believes the thinker, artist and writer role has been ignored in today’s “materialistic” society although this role can help one to better understand the meaning of life, said Zupanèiè.

Dr. Maurizio Godorecci, associate professor of Italian within the College of Arts and Sciences department of modern languages and classics, also contributes an essay, as well as the relief on the back cover of the book.

“The superb model of collaboration and cooperation of scholars between UA and State University of New York at Buffalo, where Gérard Bucher is the Melodia E. Jones professor of French and comparative literature, enabled us to craft a volume that has never been created in English before. This is the first time commentary on Bucher’s in-depth and remarkable work has been presented in the English language in book form. In fact, “Death, Language, Thought” has been published before the English translation of Bucher’s actual book, which is still forthcoming,” Zupanèiè said.

In addition to Zupanèiè and Godorecci, scholars from U.S. and international institutions have contributed to the 192-page book, produced by Summa Publications in Birmingham.

Zupanèiè also has authored a book on 1985 Nobel Laureate Claude Simon and edited a volume titled “Hermes and Aphrodite Encounters” and as well as other books on myth criticism in modern French literature. Her monograph on the leading French feminist Helene Cixous has been accepted for publication.

The College of Arts and Sciences is Alabama’s largest liberal arts college and the University’s largest division with 355 faculty and 6,600 students.