Thank you, Paul and Jay, for responding to the "languaging" that I threw
into the ring. Here is my opportunity to clarify what I imagine the utility
of performance theory might be. When Paul first raised the question, my
response was immediately that perf. th. has no political value -- but then I
re-thought and decided that it has value precisely in the micro-politics of
interaction. Lois uses the notion of performance as a way of "unsticking"
individuals from unsatisfying patterns of interaction, and it was that
notion that helped to focus the bits I'd read and gave me an excuse to read
more. Allow me, please :) to refer back to those moments in xmca-time that
stand out for their agon (did I say that right?) -- I mean, the adversarial
back and forth that leads to flaming. At these moments, when "winning"
depends on the other side's relinquishing their views and taking up your own
-- when there is personal investment in one's own text, one's own "truth",
insulated in some way from the opposition -- at those moments the idea of
renewing the text by _relinquishing_ it for a more satisfying / shared --
social -- experience, seems profoundly valuable. It's like hitting a dead
end & "surrendering to the universe", in order to find one's own way again.
I could elaborate on what is politically valuable here, but I frankly can't
afford the time now...
I do want to clarify as well my understanding of "truth" in the now, which
was certainly far less elaborately worked out than Jay's helpful
contribution to it, but that can wait --
best wishes to all,
Judy
Judith Diamondstone (732) 932-7496 Ext. 352
Graduate School of Education
Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey
10 Seminary Place
New Brunswick, NJ 08901-1183
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