Reading Bataille Now
Shannon Winnubst
Reviled and fetishized, the work of Georges Bataille (1897--1962) has                  been most often reduced to his outrageous, erotic, and libertine fiction and essays.                  But increasingly, readers are finding his insights into politics, economics,                  sexuality, and performance revealing and timely. Focusing on Bataille's most                  extensive work, The Accursed Share, Shannon Winnubst and the contributors to this                  volume present contemporary interpretations that read Bataille in a new light. These                  essays situate Bataille in French and European intellectual traditions, bring                  forward key concepts for understanding the challenges posed by his important work,                  and draw out his philosophy. Established voices and younger scholars cover a range                  of topics and themes, including ethics, politics, economy, psychology, and                  performance so readers can think with and through Bataille. While focusing attention                  on Bataille and his provocative work, this book offers a sympathetic, yet critical,                  reappraisal and rehabilitation.Contributors are Alison Leigh                  Brown, Andrew Cutrofello, Zeynep Direk, Jesse Goldhammer, Dorothy Holland, Pierre                  Lamarche, Richard A. Lee, Jr., Alphonso Lingis, Ladelle McWhorter, Lucio A.                  Privitello, Allan Stoekl, Amy Wendling, and Shannon Winnubst.