Arbol de Alejandra: Pizarnik Reassessed

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Thirty-five years after her death, this book reassesses the Argentinian poet Alejandra Pizarnik in the light of recent publications of her 'complete' poetry and prose, diaries, and previously unavailable archive material. The essays in this volume explore Pizarnik's work from new angles: they examine her production as a literary critic, revealing her intense identificatory strategies as a reader, and the impact of such activities upon her own creative process. They also weigh up the influence of her ambiguous attitudes towards sexuality on her poetic personae, as well as the ways in which her concern with sex inspires her experimentation with humorous prose. New approaches are taken to key texts and themes: in the case of the much-studied work, 'La condesa sangrienta', through a detailed philosophical reading involving comparisons with Kafka, and, in the case of the theme of the split subject, through the lens of translation. By broadening the scope of Pizarnik studies, this book will act as a catalyst for further research into the work of this compelling poet. FIONA MACKINTOSH and KARL POSSO lecture in Hispanic Studies at the University of Edinburgh. OTHER CONTRIBUTORS: Susana Chavez Silverman, Evelyn Fishburn, Florinda F. Goldberg, Cristina Pina, Cecilia Rossi, Jason Wilson