This Builds That: The Architecture of Literature

Toward the end of Victor Hugo's "Notre-Dame de Paris" (1831), Claude
Frollo, a 15th century priest, points to a book then to Notre-Dame then to
images of the cathedral and laments: “ceci tuera cela.” Frollo's prediction
is that the book will kill the cathedral, the alphabet will kill images.
While architecture has changed since Hugo's novel was written, the printed
word has not eliminated it. In fact, sometimes architecture exits only as
part of a text, built of words as a literary character. This session treats
this type of architecture by examining its role within a narrative. "This
Builds That" is not concerned with paper or fantastic architecture unless
it plays a vital role in a literary work. Furthermore, the architecture
should not merely serve as a stage-set, it must play a role in the
development of the narrative. For example, the building may serve as an
object of desire as the new barn does in the 1891 short story, "The Revolt
of Mother,” by M.W. Freeman. Or, it could be a co-conspirator like
Trémicour's petite maison in "The Little House: An Architectural Seduction"
by J.-F. de Bastide (Eng. tr., 1996). Another option is that the building
motivates the rest of the text as the Dome of the Rock does in K. Makiya's
historical novel, "The Rock: A Tale of Seventh-Century Jerusalem" (2001).
There are, of course, more types of architectural characters in literature.
Among the questions to address are: What is the role of the architecture?
Is it an active or passive character? What is its position within the
unfolding narrative? What is the relationship of the other characters to
the architecture? Does the personality of the architecture complement that
of the other characters?

The 2005 MAPACA conference is from November 4-6 in New Brunswick, NJ.
Registration 
fees apply. For more information, please go to
<"http://www.wcenter.ncc.edu/gazette/>

Deadline for proposals: June 15, 2005

Send 1-page proposal, CV & AV needs via snail mail to: 
Loretta Lorance
P.O. Box 461
Inwood Station
New York, NY 10034-0461


Loretta Lorance, Ph.D.
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