Nagori: writing with Barthes
Nagori: writing with Barthes
Presented in the form of an acrostic, the text offers six entries (Nagori, Amateur, Genshiken, Obtuse, Rhythm, and Interstice). It begins with the Japanese term nagori, the etymology of which is in nami-nokori, ‘remains of the waves’, to refer to the ephemeral imprints left by the waves as they withdraw from the beach. The modern word nagori carries a more general sense of resignation, of a destiny that cannot be changed, of things that pass. The opening entry, for example, refers to our present time as the nagori of photography – as being ‘everywhere’ even before being shattered and scattered by the Internet, by social media and cameras in mobile phones. Underlying the six entries is specific reference to the work of Roland Barthes, notably as a form of writing with Barthes, not about him. As such, and as the final contribution to a special issue of Theory, Culture & Society, ‘Neutral Life: Critical Reflections on the Late Writings of Roland Barthes’, this opens up for the ‘reader’ a specific practice and politics of writing.
Roland Barthes, interstice, nagori, photography
167-183
Burgin, Victor
451ac16f-f4d4-430e-90c7-15df141686b5
1 July 2020
Burgin, Victor
451ac16f-f4d4-430e-90c7-15df141686b5
Abstract
Presented in the form of an acrostic, the text offers six entries (Nagori, Amateur, Genshiken, Obtuse, Rhythm, and Interstice). It begins with the Japanese term nagori, the etymology of which is in nami-nokori, ‘remains of the waves’, to refer to the ephemeral imprints left by the waves as they withdraw from the beach. The modern word nagori carries a more general sense of resignation, of a destiny that cannot be changed, of things that pass. The opening entry, for example, refers to our present time as the nagori of photography – as being ‘everywhere’ even before being shattered and scattered by the Internet, by social media and cameras in mobile phones. Underlying the six entries is specific reference to the work of Roland Barthes, notably as a form of writing with Barthes, not about him. As such, and as the final contribution to a special issue of Theory, Culture & Society, ‘Neutral Life: Critical Reflections on the Late Writings of Roland Barthes’, this opens up for the ‘reader’ a specific practice and politics of writing.
Text
Burgin-Nagori-ACCEPTED
- Accepted Manuscript
More information
e-pub ahead of print date: 21 May 2020
Published date: 1 July 2020
Keywords:
Roland Barthes, interstice, nagori, photography
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 441405
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/441405
ISSN: 0263-2764
PURE UUID: daa7904a-4861-48a8-ae13-54e26f8fad98
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Date deposited: 11 Jun 2020 16:32
Last modified: 05 Jun 2024 19:40
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