The Year of Reading Proust discussion

It could be part of his lecture series for his students.

Aloha wrote: "It could be part of his lecture series for his students."

A future video...to be poster later:
The UAB Stern Library collection of William Stewart Bell and Carter's personal gifts to the university.
The video showed Bill Carter describing and handling the treasures of the Marcel Proust Collection.

http://contentdm.mhsl.uab.edu/cdm/sea...

Aloha wrote: "If you see that it's available publicly, would you let us know? Thanks, Marcelita."

Oh, yes.
In the video, Bill Carter also speaks to one of the librarians about how to make arrangements to see these rare books, letters and photographs.
Due to Bill's generous 2007 donation:
"The gift means that UAB now has 'what is believed to be the third-largest collection of Proust-related items in the world, behind France's Bibliotheque Nationale and a collection at the University of Illinois, home of pioneering Proust scholar Philip Kolb.'"
http://philobiblos.blogspot.com/2007/...

Apparently, Dr. Cottard is based on Jules Cotard, namesake of the Cotard delusion, a patient's delusional belief that they are dead, do not exist or do not have bodily organs.

Here is a recent article about the delusion: http://www.newscientist.com/article/d...

Michael Bennett wrote: "Apparently, Dr. Cottard is based on Jules Cotard, namesake of the Cotard delusion, a patient's delusional belief that they are dead, do not exist or do not have bodily organs.

Here is a recent art..."

I did some exploring on Dr. Cottard and Proust in medicine:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12...

Also, as you know already, Proust used several models for most of his characters. Sometimes...the physical features of one, with the psychological traits of another, combined with the philosophical views of a third.
Naturally, I try to resist my Sainte-Beuve habit, but continue to be tempted.

Since we are in the medical sphere, I found this "disagreement" between two doctors who each have their own views of who was the model for Dr. Cottard:

"George D. Painter, in part 1, chapter 7 of his biography on Proust, thinks that Proustian Cottard is Dr. Pozzi-a flamboyant urologist, womanizer, painted by Sargent, and ultimately shot by one of his patients. Tadié thinks that Dr. Pozzi and Marcel Proust’s father are combined in the description of Cottard’s character." Dr. AC Trujillano

Or, was Dr. Cottard, "...an amalgam of Dr Pozzi, Albert Vandal, Jules Cotard and a Dr Cottet who lived at Evian," as Painter believed?

Or, only Dr. Cotard?
Read the response from the author, Dr. John Pearn:
http://www.neurology.org/content/58/9...


There is an error in AC Trujillano's post. Dr. Pozzi was known as a gynecologist, not a urologist.

Marcelita wrote: "Michael Bennett wrote: "Apparently, Dr. Cottard is based on Jules Cotard, namesake of the Cotard delusion, a patient's delusional belief that they are dead, do not exist or do not have bodily organ..."

There was an earlier post, in the weekly readings, on this same topic.

Kalliope wrote: "Marcelita wrote: "Michael Bennett wrote: "Apparently, Dr. Cottard is based on Jules Cotard, namesake of the Cotard delusion, a patient's delusional belief that they are dead, do not exist or do not..."

I had been away...but I found several related posts for May 18th. Thank you!

182 Days of Marcel Proust A journal about reading "In Search of Lost Time" is here: http://proustproject.blogspot.co.uk/p... and I found it and other Proust links by googling "proust swann in love place names".

Marcelita wrote: "Tony wrote: "182 Days of Marcel Proust A journal about reading "In Search of Lost Time" is here: http://proustproject.blogspot.co.uk/p... and I found it and other Proust links ..."
Many thanks for this. One of the pleasure of this task/ honmework/ mountain climbing/ has been finding these links, along with some excellent articles on approaches to Proust.

This is a very good table that lists the characters and the number of times each one is mentioned in each of the seven volumes of the entire La recherche.

http://proust-personnages.fr/?page_id...

I didn't see this article when I did a search on the group: Landscape, memory, sensation: Alexander Harrison, tonalist painter and model for Marcel Proust by David Adams Cleveland. With a number of pictures of the splendid paintings by the artist

William C. Carter's "Marcel Proust: A Life," is available as an e-book.

http://www.amazon.com/Marcel-Proust-M...

My curse...to find these trinkets, but not understand their value.
However, I'm sure those who understand French....

Video:
Spéciale Proust: La grande librairie May 9, 2013 sur France 5 de François Busnel:

Invités :Antoine Compagnon, Evelyne Bloch-Dano, Raphaël Enthoven Jean-Yves Tadié
WATCH HERE: www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2CdjX65lkQ

"Three Globe Arts writers, Robert Everett-Green, Rick Groen and Kate Taylor ('Madame Proust and the Kosher Kitchen') mark the centenary of Swann’s Way by discussing how they started reading Proust and why they enjoyed 'In Search of Lost Time.'"

On Proust: ‘I still think those are the 50 greatest pages of any book I’ve ever read’

Their discussion captures many of the reasons we adore Marcel.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/s...

Teaching “Proust and His World” by Larry Bensky-Radio Proust
June 24, 2013 | French Culture
http://frenchculture.org/books/blog/t...

"Reading Proust" by Lydia Davis, from French Culture.
"I know approximately, but not exactly, when I first read Proust. I was living in France at the time. I was probably 24 or 25. I bought the little cream-colored two-volume Gallimard edition of the first book of the novel--Du Côté de chez Swann."

"'Nostaligia makes us a bit more human,' Dr. Sedikides says."

Proust...ahead of his time, once again.

"What Is Nostalgia Good For? Quite a Bit, Research Shows"
By John Tierney; NYTimes.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/09/sci...

Marcelita wrote: ""'Nostaligia makes us a bit more human,' Dr. Sedikides says."

Proust...ahead of his time, once again.

"What Is Nostalgia Good For? Quite a Bit, Research Shows"
By John Tierney; NYTimes.
http://w..."

I loved this short article. To think that nostalgia was once considered a pathology and even called the immigrant psychosis is quite incredible. The word alone conjures up sepia tones or an amber glow and this shows that the feeling has not only warmth but also a certain poetic charm. And it is universal, as the article pointed out.

ReemK10 (Paper Pills) wrote: "Jocelyne wrote: The word alone conjures up sepia tones or an amber glow

Jocelyne, are these your words? Do you really feel color in words?"

These are my words, but I don't think they are terribly original. I suppose the reason the color comes to mind is because of old photographs.

"F. Scott Fitzgerald Creates a List of 22 Essential Books, 1936"
Open Culture: August 1st, 2013.
http://www.openculture.com/2013/08/f-...

A French "text-pal" sent me this article about Proust in America-excerpt.
http://www.revuedesdeuxmondes.fr/user...

Translated poorly:
"Proust SEEN FROM AMERICA"
Ioanna Kohler - Marcel Proust on the American side (link above)
Stephen G. Breyer and Ioanna Kohler - Maintenance - A humanist to the Supreme Court
Daniel Mendelsohn and Ioanna Kohler - Maintenance - For self-discovery
Adam Gopnik and Ioanna Kohler - Maintenance - The pleasure of reading
John Updike - The search found
Emily Eells and Margaret Gray - Proust page in The New Yorker
Mireille Natural - America in the correspondence of Marcel Proust
Alexandre Mare - Death forever? Who can say?
Frederick Orchard - Proust at MGM

http://www.revuedesdeuxmondes.fr/user...

I know Melvyn Bragg's 'In Our Time' programmes have been mentioned before, but this was my listen as I gently jogged round the park this morning:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00n1l95

terrific, on the Dreyfus Affair.

Videos of Illiers-Combray can be seen from this French 3 site. RECOMMENDED, even if you don't understand French..

A tour...
"Les souvenirs de vacances de Marcel Proust en Eure-et-Loir"
http://centre.france3.fr/2013/07/16/l...

The walks and the church's art exhibit:
"Illiers-Combray: le village de Marcel Proust"
My guide was the charming lady @2:50 in the first video.
http://centre.france3.fr/2013/07/17/i...

Jean-Yves Tadié's reflections on Proust, Kazuyoshi Yoshikawa's method of dating Proust's sketch books, Hiroya Sakamoto's recent study on the technical inventions, the number of plants in the novel (260), and more.
http://bibliobs.nouvelobs.com/actuali...

Marcelita wrote: "Videos of Illiers-Combray can be seen from this French 3 site. RECOMMENDED, even if you don't understand French..

A tour...
"Les souvenirs de vacances de Marcel Proust en Eure-et-Loir"
http://cen..."

I love these two little videos,especially since I'll be trotting in Proust's footsteps soon myself.

It is fun to hear the visitors exchanging their ideas in the second video and also the comment about the Japanese visitors who are great fans of Proust's because they have a sensibility very close to his and are very self-reflecting.
I also appreciate the explanation about the Pré Catalan. I did not know that Catalan was a troubadour who had been killed by his own escort.

The first video also reminded me to read François le Champi.

They are fun to watch even if you don't understand French. Thank you, Marcelita.

Jocelyne wrote: "Marcelita wrote: "Videos of Illiers-Combray can be seen from this French 3 site. RECOMMENDED, even if you don't understand French..

A tour...
"Les souvenirs de vacances de Marcel Proust en Eure-e..."

Jocelyn, it is not Catalan, but Catelan..

Sorry.

Kalliope wrote: "Jocelyne wrote: "Marcelita wrote: "Videos of Illiers-Combray can be seen from this French 3 site. RECOMMENDED, even if you don't understand French..

A tour...
"Les souvenirs de vacances de Marcel..."

I stand corrected. Thank you.

Notes for Proust:

Notes for Each Book
Swann's Way [Notes] (Du côté de chez Swann)
Within a Budding Grove [Notes] (À l'ombre des jeunes filles en fleur)
The Guermantes Way (Le Côté de Guermantes)
Cities of the Plane (Sodome et Gomorrhe)


http://heron.snell.clarkson.edu/~horn...

Proust Ink's wonderful video,
"Swann's Way: A Centennial Tribute" by William C Carter

http://www.proust-ink.com/proustiana/...

See our GoodReads group @5:13!

Marcelita wrote: "Aloha wrote: "If you see that it's available publicly, would you let us know? Thanks, Marcelita."
Oh, yes.
In the video, Bill Carter also speaks to one of the librarians about how to make arrange..."

As promised....
Proust Ink's unbelievably wonderful video, "Swann's Way: A Centennial Tribute" by William C Carter. (http://www.proust-ink.com/proustiana/...)

Bill Carter talking about the rare holdings in the library...@10:15.

Marcelita wrote: "Bill Carter talking about the rare holdings in the library...@10:15. "

That's a very interesting collection, Marcelita.
How is the telegram to Forssgren which Bill Carter mentioned significant? Perhaps he said but I didn't catch it..

Fionnuala wrote: "Marcelita wrote: "Bill Carter talking about the rare holdings in the library...@10:15. "

That's a very interesting collection, Marcelita.
How is the telegram to Forssgren which Bill Carter mentio..."

The telegram "proved" that the sequence of events, regarding Proust's death, were wrong.

Bill Carter mentioned, in a webcam, the "cautionary tale" of all biographers is that a letter or telegram will eventually surface which will change the narrative of what we thought was true.

"The Forssgren material includes a telegram that Proust sent to him only a few months before the author died. This information allowed us to correct earlier inadvertent misrepresentations in scholarly journals and biographies, including my own, about the sequence of events involving Forssgren that preceded Proust's death on November 18, 1922."
From: Marcel Proust: A Life, with a New Preface by the Author
By William C. Carter (page xii)

In celebration of the 100th Anniversary of the publication of Swann's Way, David Richardson has just published...



"Resemblance: Portraits of Characters from Marcel Proust’s In Search of Lost Time" by David Richardson.

Introduction by William C. Carter.
Limited Edition of 100
http://www.davidwesleyrichardson.com/...

ESSAY
"Why All the Fuss About Proust?"
The 100th anniversary of Swann's Way reminds us of his introspective genius.
By ANDRÉ ACIMAN
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/S...

Marcelita wrote: "The telegram "proved" that the sequence of events, regarding Proust's death, were wrong.
"

Thanks for clarifying that, Marcelita although, sinceI haven't read any biographies yet, it is all still a bit mysterious. I did begin Jean-Yves Tadié's Proust a couple of years ago but quickly concluded that I should read Proust himself instead. But next year, I'll go back to Tadié. Or Carter...

Marcelita wrote: "ESSAY
"Why All the Fuss About Proust?"
The 100th anniversary of Swann's Way reminds us of his introspective genius.
By ANDRÉ ACIMAN..."

Very nice. Thanks Marcelita. Really liked that bit:

Proust is interested in minutiae because life, as he sees it, is seldom ever about things, but about our impression of things, not about facts, but about the interpretation of facts, not about one particular feeling but about a confluence of conflicting feelings. Everything is elusive in Proust, because nothing is ever certain. He isn't interested in characters the way Tolstoy and Dickens are interested in characters; he is interested in the vivisection of identity, in people who turn out to be everything they claim they are not, in relationships that are always inscrutably opaque, in situations that conceal an underside that ends up flattering neither the betrayer nor the betrayed.

Marcelita wrote: "Fionnuala wrote: "Marcelita wrote: "The telegram "proved" that the sequence of events, regarding Proust's death, were wrong.
Thanks for clarifying that, Marcelita although, sinceI haven't read any..."

I think Tadié's book was published earlier (1996 vs 2000, I think) and we see that there is still a gread deal of research being conducted on Proust. Facts are still being discovered and my sense is that the first biographies were based on legends to a certain extent (G. Painter).

From the French Discussion via "Book Portrait:"
http://www.franceculture.fr/blog-au-f...

French Radio (podcasts)
WEEKEND WITH FRANCE CULTURE ON Marcel Proust
Saturday 5 and Sunday, October 6, 2013

Google Translated:
http://translate.google.com/translate...

Marcelita wrote: "Marcelita wrote: "Aloha wrote: "If you see that it's available publicly, would you let us know? Thanks, Marcelita."
Oh, yes.
In the video, Bill Carter also speaks to one of the librarians about ho..."

Marcelita, Thank you for sharing videos such as this and other informative links. You expand our world and I am grateful. Alabama University generously offers their rare and expansive library online, which is a remarkable find.

New book
"Understanding Marcel Proust"
Allen Thiher

"What is perhaps most original about Thiher's interpretation, however, is his demonstration that Proust removed his aged narrator from the novel's temporal flow to achieve a kind of fictional transcendence. Proust never situates his narrator in historical time, which allows him to demonstrate concretely what he sees as the function of art: the truth of the absolute particular removed from time's determinations. The artist that the narrator hopes to become at the end of the novel must pursue his own individual truths—those in fact that the novel has narrated, for him and the reader, up to the novel's conclusion." SC.edu
http://www.sc.edu/uscpress/books/2013...

Available at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA)...the largest art museum in the western United States.

"Richardson's portraits in 'Resemblance' capture the endless possibilities of the way we remember Proust's characters and his descriptions. Humorous, serious, austere, and uncanny are only a few adjectives to describe Richardson's remarkable figures in 'Resemblance.'"


"Albertine Simonet in her Fortuny gown" by David Richardson

http://thelacmastore.org/products/res...

Interesting documentary narrated in French with interviews in English and French (the latter part of the nobility such as Princess Soutzo), and with subtitles in Spanish. About one hour long.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTQpFz...

Kalliope wrote: "Interesting documentary narrated in French with interviews in English and French (the latter part of the nobility such as Princess Soutzo), and with subtitles in Spanish. About one hour long...."

One of my favorite documentaries!
It was during the making of this film, that the advisors sat around a lunch table...each revealed who they believed was the most important character.

During a webcam, on Bill Carter's Online Course, he said the vote was unanimous...EXCEPT for his!

- "Vie et mort de Marcel Proust" de Carter en français (1h, 1992)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQdSBh......"

William C Carter was a Producer on this comprehensive, charming film.
http://stonelanternfilms.org/proust.html

Here is a list of contributors, some now gone.
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/26099774...

On one of his online-course webcams, Carter shares some morsels of the shoot.
One? In the film, the notebooks by "Proust's" bedside table are the REAL ones. The BnF brought them over for the film.
Another? Some of the contributors voted on their favorite character.

Variety's "Review: ‘Marcel Proust: A Writer’s Life’"
http://variety.com/1993/tv/reviews/ma...

"Happy birthday to a timeless classic: Marcel Proust's In Search of Lost Time turns 100" in The Independent (UK):

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-ent...

Marcelita, I'm not sure whether you've seen this article on the event you attended in NYC:

http://observer.com/2013/11/bed-time-...

Remembrance of things past: Marcel Proust on film in The Guardian (UK):

http://www.theguardian.com/film/2013/...

It's 100 years since the first volume of À La Recherche du Temps Perdu was published, but a definitive cinematisation of Proust's epic novel has so far proved elusive.

100 Jahre "Auf der Suche nach der verlorenen Zeit" Marcel Proust: Ekstasen der Erinnerung in Der Tagespiegel

http://www.tagesspiegel.de/kultur/100...

In the Spanish press today:

http://elpais.com/elpais/2013/11/13/f...

And yesterday.

A translation of Colm Toibin.

http://cultura.elpais.com/cultura/201...

Felix de Azúa is a philosopher.

http://cultura.elpais.com/cultura/201...

http://cultura.elpais.com/cultura/201...

Columbia University, Department of English and Comparative Literature, Winter-Spring 2013

Award-winning author Benjamin Taylor leads our Proust I Reading Group. This group is designed for first-time readers of Proust, although experienced readers are welcome as well. This reading group offers a "quick" read, finishing the work in eleven months, and does not expect or require any secondary reading.

Now you can listen to the audio of Taylor's Columbia seminar that discusses Proust's In Search of Lost Time.

http://centerforfiction.org/for-reade...

Class 1-16