Is writing haunted by a categorical imperative? Does the Kantian sublime continue to shape the writer's vocation, even in twentieth century authors who seem far removed from the grand rewards of Reason and the purity of the Supersensible? And what precise shape, form or figure does this residue of s[...]

The world of Aminadab, Maurice Blanchot's second novel, is dark, bizarre, and fantastic. Reminiscent of Kafka's enclosed and allegorical spaces, Aminadab is both a reconstruction and a deconstruction of power, authority, and hierarchy. The novel opens when Thomas, upon seeing a woman gesture to him [...]

The Italian philosopher Giorgio Agamben has always been an original reader of texts, understanding their many rich historical, aesthetic, and political meanings and effects. In Profanations, Agamben has assembled for the first time some of his most pivotal essays on photography, the novel, and film.[...]