About the book
Writers facing death offer a rare glimpse into human mortality—they have the unusual opportunity to craft the closing chapter of their life stories. Final Acts explores memoirs of terminal illness, and shows a paradoxical pattern where the diagnosis of terminal illness evokes not despair, but a new freedom and richness in life. The memoirs analyzed—by Allon White, Harold Brodkey, Gillian Rose, and Derek Jarman—provide insight into the experience of radical contingency that an awareness of mortality brings. Tom Ratekin engages the concept of \"traversing the fantasy,\" elaborated by Jacques Lacan and Slavoj Žižek, to argue that the new richness in life each of these memoirists' experiences arises from the abandonment of a particular fantasy that guided his or her earlier work—a fantasy that both protected and inhibited the memoirist. Freed from convention, these writers, while close to death, can reinterpret the stories presented in their earlier work, and gain new perspectives on their worlds and existence.
Editions of Final Acts
- Hardcover
- ISBN 9781438427294
- Paperback
- ISBN 9781438427300
- PDF
- ISBN 9781438427409
Read an Excerpt
Writers facing death offer a rare glimpse into human mortality—they have the unusual opportunity to craft the closing chapter of their life stories. Final Acts explores memoirs of terminal illness, and shows a paradoxical pattern where the diagnosis of terminal illness evokes not despair, but a new freedom and richness in life. The memoirs analyzed—by Allon White, Harold Brodkey, Gillian Rose, and Derek Jarman—provide insight into the experience of radical contingency that an awareness of mortality brings. Tom Ratekin engages the concept of \"traversing the fantasy,\" elaborated by Jacques Lacan and Slavoj Žižek, to argue that the new richness in life each of these memoirists' experiences arises from the abandonment of a particular fantasy that guided his or her earlier work—a fantasy that both protected and inhibited the memoirist. Freed from convention, these writers, while close to death, can reinterpret the stories presented in their earlier work, and gain new perspectives on their worlds and existence.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Final Acts about?
Writers facing death offer a rare glimpse into human mortality—they have the unusual opportunity to craft the closing chapter of their life stories. Final Acts explores memoirs of terminal illness, and shows a paradoxical pattern where the diagnosis of terminal illness evokes not despair, but a new freedom and richness in life. The memoirs analyzed—by Allon White, Harold Brodkey, Gillian Rose, and Derek Jarman—provide insight into the experience of radical contingency that an awareness of mortality brings. Tom Ratekin engages the concept of \"traversing the fantasy,\" elaborated by Jacques Lacan and Slavoj Žižek, to argue that the new richness in life each of these memoirists' experiences arises from the abandonment of a particular fantasy that guided his or her earlier work—a fantasy that both protected and inhibited the memoirist. Freed from convention, these writers, while close to death, can reinterpret the stories presented in their earlier work, and gain new perspectives on their worlds and existence.
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in Final Acts?
Biography, Literature and Literary studies > Literature: history and criticism
Where can I read a sample of Final Acts?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9781438427294
How long is Final Acts and how many pages does it have?
Final Acts has 175 page(s)
Is Final Acts part of a series, and can it be read as a standalone?
Yes it is a part of series SUNY series in Psychoanalysis and Culture
Who is/are the Author/s of the book Final Acts?
Tom Ratekin
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
Final Acts is available as hardcover(ISBN 9781438427294) and paperback(ISBN 9781438427300) and pdf(ISBN 9781438427409)
Where can I buy Final Acts online or support local independent bookshops?
You can buy Final Acts from below
Where can I buy Final Acts?