Tel Quel: ecriture as political practice1

Abstract

This article is an overview of the notion of ecriture as it emerged and developed in the journal Tel Que/ and in the works of those affiliated with it. Tel Que/ has now been discontinued, and has been replaced by Infiniti; in recent years - in fact, almost immediately after the break with Maosim in 1972/3 - the journal had already changed drastically. During the 25 years in which it was published, the journal covered a very wide range of concerns and was instrumental in launching a large variety of experimental writings. This article is limited to the period 1960-71, specifically to the emergence of ecriture in the first issues of Tel Que/, to the Marx-Freud articulation elaborated from 1968 onwards, and to the type of problem which besets the notion of ecriture arising from this articulation Although the number of writers and theorists who were at various times associated with the journal is extensive, I have referred particularly to the writings of Sollers and of Foucault.

Opsomming
Hierdie artikel is 'n oorsig van die begrip ecriture soos dit ontstaan en ontwikkel het in die tydskrif Tel Que/ en die werk van skrywers wat daarby geaffilieer was. Die publikasie van Tel Que/ is nou beeindig en dit is deur lnfini vervang. In die afgelope tyd - trouens, feitlik direk na die breuk met Maoisme in 1972/3 - het die tydskrif baie verander. Gedurende die 25 jaar waarin dit gepubliseer is, het dit 'n wye veld gedek, en was dit ook instrumenteel in die ontstaan van verskillende tipes eksperimentele tekste. Die tydperk 1960-71 word gedek; in besonder die verskyning van ecriture in die eerste uitgawes van Tel Que/, die Marx-Freud-artikulasie wat sedert 1968 uitgewerk is, en die tipe problematiek wat deur hierdie artikulasie veroorsaak word. Alhoewel 'n groat aantal skrywers en teoretici op verskillende tye aan die tydskrif verbonde was, word in die besonder na geskrifte van Sollers en Foucault verwys.