“Decoding Critical Secrets in the Beckett Archive:” Christian Jacobs, French teacher and world languages chair at Park Tudor School in Indianapolis

In this presentation, Jacobs highlights the Samuel Beckett Digital Manuscript Project, an international collaboration that creates “genetic” editions of Beckett’s works. He also draws attention to the unique factors that distinguish Beckett in the field of genetic criticism: his notebooks, typescripts and personal library were meticulously preserved and challenging to decipher; he served as author and self-translator; and he continues to be praised for a meticulous, “minimalist” style that was not easy to [de]construct. Throughout the talk, Jacobs will discuss how manuscript study and the nature of this work, especially in the context of Samuel Beckett, dramatically altered his personal and professional trajectory in life.

Talk delivered at "What is the Word: Celebrating Samuel Beckett" colloquium in Olin Library at Washington University. See http://omeka.wustl.edu/omeka/exhibits... for more.