In Defense of Anne-Marie Albiach's Minimalist Poetry.

ALBIACH, Anne-Marie; BAETENS, Jan

In a book critiquing minimalism in French writing today, Jan Baetens took aim at so-called minimalist poetry. Anne-Marie Albiach was among the poets he discussed and he considered her writing to be a part of a larger argument regarding the philosophy of language. He also proposed that her poetry, in its desire to be minimalist, related maximum meaning. I counter his argument by stipulating that her poetry, like much poetry, deserves recognition for its multiplicity of meaning, for its existential quest, for its use of the white page, for its opacity, and its dangerous relationship with the successes and failures of language. Through my close readings of Albiach's texts, the manner in which she navigates the white page by creating linguistic landmarks within an abstract and poetic cartography becomes visible. The visual aspect of the page, its melodies and rhythms, shape a poetic voice worthy of close attention. The classification and dismissal of Albiach's minimalism risks obstructing the reader from hearing the echoes and vibrations of her voice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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