Bataille

Georges Bataille's powerful writings, with their focus on themes of sex and death, have fascinated many readers. Bataille's emotive discourse of excess, transgression, sacrifice and the sacred has had a profound influence on thinkers such as Foucault, Derrida and Kristeva. *Bataille*** examines the continuing power and influence of his work.

Drawing from a number of perspectives and a range of disciplines, the collection centers around Bataille's concept of a radical, subversive negativitywhat Bataille called the sacred. The essays examine the central role of writing in his work and address issues relevant to current theoretical debates such as the critique of subjectivity, the relationship between representation, meaning and a particular theory of language, and the nature of community.

The full extent of Bataille's subversive and influential writings have only been made available to an English-speaking audience in recent years. This collection explores the many facets ofhis writings by bringing together a group of international experts on Bataille in fields ranging from philosophy and literature to art history.

Contributors : Geoffrey Bennington, Jean-Michel Besnier, Leslie Anne Boldt-Irons, Briony Fer, Denis Hollier, Marie-Christine Lala, John Lechte, Miche'le Richman, Alphonso Lingis, Allan Stoekl, Susan R. Suleiman, Sarah Wilson.