Art Talk, Politics Talk: A Consideration of CategoriesUniversity of KwaZulu-Natal Press, 2006 - 187 pages Art Talk, Politics Talk looks at a deep issue, whether art should be in the service of political ends or be free to roam on its own and burgeon to the beat of the artist's perspective. Should art inform politics, or should it be the reverse? From the introductory thought-how to talk about art in a politically demanding milieu-to meditations on writers ranging from J.M. Coetzee to Nelson Mandela, Salman Rushdie to Nadine Gordimer, Art Talk, Politics Talk offers a continually surprising, consistently intellectual, and boldly original consideration of literary-cultural tradition and innovation that in many ways is a model for the world. The essays, self-contained yet cumulative in their argument and insight, locate ethical and aesthetic challenges in the postcolonial condition of our times, both in post-apartheid South Africa and globally. Teasing out the intricate value of literary culture in contemporary society, the author, in lucid prose, brings to this volume a new confidence and critical vocabulary that both energizes older controversies and marks out fresh ground for debate. |
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Abrahams Abrahams's Achebe aesthetic African Literatures African Popular Fiction Ahmad Ana Blandiana ancient apartheid art talk artist autonomy Black Consciousness Blandiana Books Bosman Botha Camões Campbell Campbell's Cape Town challenge Chapman chapter character characterised Coetzee colonial contemporary context countries critics culture Despite Dromedaris Drum edge elite English example experience expression Faber folktale Gordimer's Herman Charles Bosman human images imagination Indian literature individual isiXhosa isiZulu J.M. Coetzee Johannesburg language Lionel Abrahams literary London Mandela Marechera Matshoba Milosz modern modernist Mphahlele Mqhayi myth Nadine Gordimer narrative Natal Ndebele Nobel novel novelist oral paradoxically poet politics talk postcolonial postmodern praise poem Press recognise remind response Robben Island Romanian Rushdie Rushdie's Ruth Miller Shaka shebeen short story social society Sophiatown South African poetry Soweto Staffrider storytelling struggle style suggest texts Themba township tradition translation University urban voice Walk to Freedom Western writers Xhosa Zulu