“I envy paranoids; they actually feel people are paying attention to them.” (1)
Susan Sontag, one of the most prominent New York intellectuals of her generation, was a writer and political activist, born on 16 January 1933 (she died of leukaemia just two weeks before her 72nd birthday)
When she was fourteen years old, she started to keep a journal and just before dying she called her son David and whispered to him: “You know where the diaries are…”
Her journals, edited by her son David Rieff, were published under the title “Reborn”.
In his introduction he declared that Susan loved diaries and letters, “the more intimate the better”, for this reason he was not inclined to publish them, as they were highly personal documents.
But he knew his mother intended for her journals to be published and had already sold her literary archive to the University of California, Los Angeles, without instructions.
Therefore, he accepted to open her private life to public eyes granting all readers access to the innermost thoughts.
In one of her diary entries, she wrote: “One of the main (social) functions of a journal or diary is precisely to be read furtively by other people, the people (like parents + lovers) about whom one has been cruelly honest only in the journal.” (2)
She filled some 100 notebooks reporting her life and thoughts since adolescence, analysing books, talking about her intellectual ambitions, her struggle to accept her homosexuality, her lesbian relationships.
Her journals chronicle an amazing story, the willed self-creation of an intellect: “In the journal I do not just express myself more openly than I could to any person; I create myself.” (3)
(1) “Invidio i paranoici; credono realmente che la gente presti loro attenzione.”
(2) “Una delle principali funzioni (sociali) di un diario è proprio quella di essere letto furtivamente da altre persone, persone (come i genitori + gli amanti) su cui si è stati crudelmente onesti solo nel diario. “
(3) ”Nel diario non mi limito a esprimere me stessa più apertamente di quanto potrei fare con un’altra persona; creo me stessa.”
Image: Susan Sontag photographed by her partner Annie Leibovitz in 1991 (Scottish National Portrait Gallery)
Penso che Susan Sontag sia uno dei grandi intellettuali della teoria critica dell’arte. Torno regolarmente al suo articolo “Contro l’interpretazione” che ci avverte di non fare troppo affidamento sulla reinterpretazione delle intenzioni dell’artista. Ottimo blog, Luisa.
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Grazie per questa preziosa osservazione
Sei stato davvero gentile a volerla condividere qui e io te ne sono davvero grata🙏🙏🙏
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onestà e crudeltà , binomio molto disarmante .
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Vero! Buon pomeriggio, Stefano caro 🤗😊🤗
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On the many days that my husband willfully ignores me (like yestereday when I said that a car was coming from the left and he pulled out into traffic anyways, fortunately avoiding an accident), I can relate to her quote. “I envy paranoids; they actually feel people are paying attention to them.” (1)
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I am sorry for what you say about your situation and am relieved to hear that you managed to avoid an accident.
I am divorced and lonely,, but when I was married I was twice as lonely
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Sad how that can happen. I still honestly feel like I am better off with him than without him. Like all of us, he does have his moments. Hope you find some companionship, if you want it.
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Thank you!!!
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🌺
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Il punto 2 è esattamente quello che ho cercato di dire ieri nel mio post, il punto 3 è quello che ho appena scritto rispondendo al commento di Massimo Legnani.
Incredibilmente sincronico.
Grazie
🌹
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Perfettamente; sono anche andata a leggere la risposta💖🌹💖
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💓🌹
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Another amazing introduction of a genius.Thank you, my dear Luisa. I say again; Woman rocks 🙏💖💖🤗😘
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Thank you very much, dearest Aladin
🌹🙏🌹🙏🌹
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Luisa!! Prima cosa grazie! Penso che Sontang sia stata quella che un tempo si diceva “pensatore” , i suoi saggi in particolare mi hanno accompagnato da sempre. È dotata di una lucidità e capacità di vedere oltre che mi ha sempre affascinato! E concordo molto con il commento di “whats in the white box” , quel suo saggio mi fa compagnia da parecchi anni!! Grazie grazie
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Grazie a te per questa bella riflessione, Matilde cara 🙏😘🙏
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A te sempre per farmi “riflettere”!❤️
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Great
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Thank you 🙏🙏🙏
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😊
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Grazie per avermi fatto ripensare a lei 😃
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Grazieeee 🙏🌹🙏🌹🙏
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😘🙏🌺
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She sounds like someone I would love to share a cup of tea with.
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I too would do that, with the greatest pleasure🌺🌺🌺🌺
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A beautiful post thank you so much
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So glad you liked it!
Thank you 🙏🙏🙏
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“My library is an archive of longings.”
– Susan Sontag
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Beautiful quote!
Thank you so much for sharing it here🙏🙏🙏
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Imparo a conoscere una nuova persona.
Serena serata
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Grazie… e buona serata a te ⭐
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splendida serata
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“Nel diario non mi limito a esprimere me stessa più apertamente di quanto potrei fare con un’altra persona; creo me stessa”
In questa frase c’è molto della personalità forte di questa scrittrice.
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E’ proprio così!
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You are a font of informative information 😉
Thanks for it all.
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I am really glad to hear that.
Thank you very much for your lovely feedback
🙏🌺🙏🌺🙏🌺🙏
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sostengo da sempre che l’onestà “virtuosa” è spesso crudele, ciaooo luisa ❤
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😉 Un abbraccio, Viki cara 🧡🌹🧡
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ricambio ❤
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