Antonin Artaud and the Healing Practices of Language

"The life of Antonin Artaud (1896-1948) was tormented by physical and mental illnesses. In his earlier writings, Artaud tried to express his physical and mental suffering, but perceived, in describing his feelings, the obstructive and illness-inducing role of language. This is the first book written in English that analyses Artaud's engagement with a healing language in his later works. Joeri Visser guides us through the years in which Artaud suffered more and more from mental instability and considered the act of writing his only means of survival. In doing so, Visser unfolds a literary and a philosophical analysis of how language and life work together and how a creative play with language can help us to reengage sustainably with the joyous as well as the terrible forces of life."--