Encircling Black and Blue

Abstract“Encircling Black and Blue” is Peggy Phelan's poetic response to Carol Mavor's recent book, Black and Blue: The Bruising Passion of Camera Lucida, La Jetee, Sans soleil, and Hiroshima mon amour (Duke University Press, 2012). In the spirit of Roland Barthes, Phelan's neither-nor piece (which is neither criticism, nor poetry—neither oral, nor written) is a “writing aloud” prose poem. Literally extending her memories and passions into Black and Blue, Phelan's writing is one with Mavor's. An afterword has been provided by the book's designer, Amy Ruth Buchanan.