Seminar Room - reviews, essays, articles, opinionsArchive
Tuis /
Home
Briewe /
Letters
Bieg /
Confess
Kennisgewings /
Notices
Skakels /
Links
Boeke /
Books
Onderhoude /
Interviews
Fiksie /
Fiction
Poësie /
Poetry
Taaldebat /
Language debate
Opiniestukke /
Essays
Rubrieke /
Columns
Kos & Wyn /
Food & Wine
Film /
Film
Teater /
Theatre
Musiek /
Music
Resensies /
Reviews
Nuus /
News
Feeste /
Festivals
Spesiale projekte /
Special projects
Slypskole /
Workshops
Opvoedkunde /
Education
Artikels /
Features
Geestelike literatuur /
Religious literature
Visueel /
Visual
Reis /
Travel
Expatliteratuur /
Expat literature
Gayliteratuur /
Gay literature
IsiXhosa
IsiZulu
Nederlands /
Dutch
Hygliteratuur /
Erotic literature
Kompetisies /
Competitions
Sport
In Memoriam
Wie is ons? /
More on LitNet
Adverteer op LitNet /
Advertise on LitNet
LitNet is ’n onafhanklike joernaal op die Internet, en word as gesamentlike onderneming deur Ligitprops 3042 BK en Media24 bedryf.

Klik hier om die Afrikaanse weergawe van hierdie artikel te lees.

Literary polemics: Questions and answers; claims and responses

Madame Lacoste

I

The corridors are abuzz.

"Have you heard?"

"No, really?"

In a post-postmodern era you have to wonder: a charge of plagiarism with regard to documents in the public domain?

A charge of plagiarism about a Ted Hughes quotation from Country of my skull, an ingenious piece of faction (blending of fact and fiction) and a book in which characters parade as intellectual puppets on behalf of the implicit author. Hughes probably got his view of myths from Robert Graves, and one of his first gifts to Sylvia Plath was supposedly a Graves boook.

"But besides the wench is dead" – to “steal”, while I’m at it, a motto from an Eliot poem. (Yes, guess which one?)

A polemicist has pointed out the uncollegial nature of Stephen Watson’s criticism of Krog.

Polemic doesn’t have to be uncollegial, but rumours of a soured friendship are mentioned in passing and the poem "‘I think I am the first’ – Lady Anne op Tafelberg" assumes new psychoanalytical interpretations.

Who was first? Who was second?

This psychodrama – which South African literature, being as small as it is, is not quite able to absorb – has necessarily led to a choosing of sides.

Which is a pity. Because the complex processes are at once reduced and destroyed.

Furthermore: questions ought to be raised about appropriation, adoption, mine versus yours; Afrikaans literature’s freer, postmodern approach to playing with intertexts versus local English literature’s apparently “old-fashioned” handling of texts.

The words integrity and custodian were also used by a polemicist. Who decides about a writer’s integrity and who decides that someone is above criticism?

In law an advocate refers to someone that he’s had to carry and defend through many court sessions as “My man”. Biographers often become possessive about a subject, and Leon Rousseau, that excellent biographer of Die groot verlange, has often referred to his obsession with Marais.

Krog’s publishers threatened legal action. Whereupon an advocate friend remarked, “One shouldn’t fight with people that buy their ink by the litre.”

Hennie Aucamp has wisely remarked in this debate that a symposium, not a court case, would be the prudent step.

II

In the Freud Archives, a study by Janet Malcolm, an unpleasant libel claim between Malcolm and Jeffrey Masson is recounted. The case dragged on for eleven years and cost approximately eleven million dollars. What was the fight about?

The fight beween KR Eissler, head of the Freud archives, Masson’s former successor and subsequent vilified manager of the archives, and Peter Swales, one-time manager of the Rolling Stones and subsequent psychoanalyst, about who owned rights to the letters and other Freud archival material, reads like a thriller. Malcolm, just like Eissler, is dragged into court.

The book makes for fascinatiing reading and could be directly applied to Watson and Krog. The final chord in this fascinating text is a lost jotter belonging to Malcolm. If she had been able to produce it as evidence, Masson’s case against her would have been unnecessary. One day – coincidentally – her granddaughter discovered the notebook in which she had recorded verbatim every word and pronouncement of Masson’s.

III

No one “owns” the Bushman documents. Everyone can write, argue and publish things about them. Acknowledge one another’s work. Even in a postmodern milieu, acknowledgements, the "coup de chapeau" of which I, Mrs Lacoste, am the marketer, is essential.

Literary etiquette would at least have required the publication of Krog’s response simultaneously with Watson’s accusations. And would literary etiquette, by which Watson sets such high store, not equally have required a more sober, more academic tone?

Called for: A symposium on this matter with an objective, neutral chairman so that both parties can be heard.

Sources

Krog, Antjie. Country of my skull. Random House, Johannesburg. 2002.
        -- Lady Anne. Taurus, Johannesburg. 1989.

Malcolm, Janet. In the Freud Archives. Papermac, New York. 1997.

Rousseau, Leon. Die groot verlange. Human & Rousseau, Cape Town. 1974.

"I think I am the first" – Lady Anne op Tafelberg

skilder kan jy dit nie verf sal faal
in die oploop onder watervalle wat rag
van ravyn en klip onder ons
pootstamp en stuif die berg sag
in die mis alles geborge mekaar by naam
gaan
tog gaan hoekom wag
want smal lyk ineens ons grinterige loopgraaf van taal

maar jou voete minsame bergstapper
in tamatiesokke en klimstewels
beweeg rustig van klip tot klip
vir my bysiende oë word die newels
draderig ons twee figuurtjies strek langs die hang
waar net wasem fyn veeg tussen rots en wang
vlekkerige heideveld proteas soos rugsakke voëls
waar my hande ook al vat jakker

ritssluitertjies kleur. die klim wis
alles tussen ons uit saam kom die slymspoor
van tong wat die berg verwoord
dunner dun klop my bloedspriet soos ons hoër
klim jou sekure voetstap altyddeur voor my
reën wat skedelnat keel-af gly
uit Platteklipkloof boor
die eerste wind om wat smal setlaar is.



LitNet: 14 March 2006

Send your comments to webvoet@litnet.co.za to continue the discussion on SêNet, our interactive opinion page.

to the top


© Kopiereg in die ontwerp en inhoud van hierdie webruimte behoort aan LitNet, uitgesluit die kopiereg in bydraes wat berus by die outeurs wat sodanige bydraes verskaf. LitNet streef na die plasing van oorspronklike materiaal en na die oop en onbeperkte uitruil van idees en menings. Die menings van bydraers tot hierdie werftuiste is dus hul eie en weerspieël nie noodwendig die mening van die redaksie en bestuur van LitNet nie. LitNet kan ongelukkig ook nie waarborg dat hierdie diens ononderbroke of foutloos sal wees nie en gebruikers wat steun op inligting wat hier verskaf word, doen dit op hul eie risiko. Media24, M-Web, Ligitprops 3042 BK en die bestuur en redaksie van LitNet aanvaar derhalwe geen aanspreeklikheid vir enige regstreekse of onregstreekse verlies of skade wat uit sodanige bydraes of die verskaffing van hierdie diens spruit nie. LitNet is ’n onafhanklike joernaal op die Internet, en word as gesamentlike onderneming deur Ligitprops 3042 BK en Media24 bedryf.