Sontag and Kael: Opposites Attract Me

A witty and stylish assessment of the work of two icons of cultural criticism: Susan Sontag and Pauline Kael.

Though outwardly they had some things in common--they were both Westerners who came east, both schooled in philosophy, both secular Jews and both single mothers--they were polar opposites in temperament and approach. Seligman approaches both women through their widely discussed work. Kael practiced a kind of verbal jazz--exuberant, excessive, intimate, emotional and funny. Sontag is formal and rather icy. From the beginning it's clear where Seligman's sympathies lie: Sontag is a critic he reveres; but Kael is a critic he loves. But for all his reservations about Sontag, he considers both writers magnificent and his exploration of their differences results in this luminously written landmark of criticism.

Author: Craig Seligman
Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Counterpoint LLC
Published: 07/01/2005
Pages: 256
Weight: 0.63lbs
Size: 8.02h x 5.36w x 0.60d
ISBN: 9781582433127
Revised Edition