Imaginary letter from the President of the French Republic to the American writers

By Manuel de Dieguez a French philosopher and professor.

Mr. Dieguez has written a very interesting piece that deserves reading. It is currently one of a few of his works translated into english. Let me offer the beginning, and you can read the rest at his site - as the article has internal links that I can't duplicate here.

While the war for the Iraqi oil treasure prepares, the American government asks to all the writers of the country to write praises of the American culture which will be circulated by the American embassies in the whole world. This step constrained the "Élysée" ( The French White house) to specify how the defence and illustration of French literature is integrated in the deterrent force of our foreign policies.

I imagined that the head of the State explains himself on this point in a letter to the American writers in which he exposes his philosophy of literary creation to them, his vision of history, his comprehension of relationships between literature and politics, literature and the idea of justice. This text will be widely diffused in United States.

Continue reading at Letter

Posted by rowan at May 24, 2004 5:29 PM | TrackBack | [eMail this article!] |