'Reste métèque': Linda Lê's Problematic Nation in Calomnies

This article examines Linda Lê's Calomnies , her self-proclaimed first novel, as an artist's statement in the tradition of the Künstlerroman in the shadow of the fallen Republic of Vietnam. Meditating on Lê's uncomfortable embrace of the concept of métèque , the article interrogates L...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:L'Esprit créateur 2023-12, Vol.63 (4), p.62-74
Main Author: Tam, H. J
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Citizenship
Country of birth
Diaspora
Postcolonialism
Refugees
Sociocultural factors
Vietnam War
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Summary:This article examines Linda Lê's Calomnies , her self-proclaimed first novel, as an artist's statement in the tradition of the Künstlerroman in the shadow of the fallen Republic of Vietnam. Meditating on Lê's uncomfortable embrace of the concept of métèque , the article interrogates Lê's difficult negotiation between artistic universalism and the refugee's crisis of nationality, a career-long project for Lê. Specifically, the article interprets the male figures in Calomnies – the lost father, mad uncle, austere publisher, and indulgent TV producer – as representatives of larger historical, socio-cultural, and artistic forces that the protagonist confronts while striking her path as a diasporic writer.
ISSN:0014-0767
1931-0234
1931-0234
DOI:10.1353/esp.2023.a919689