GUYOTAT, Pierre
Coma

Coma is the deeply moving, vivid portrayal of the artistic and spiritual crisis that wracked Pierre Guyotat in the 1980s when he reached the physical limits of his search for a new language, entered a mental clinic, and fell into a coma brought on by self-imposed starvation.

A poetic, cruelly lucid account, Coma links Guyotat’s illness and loss of subjectivity to a broader concern for the slow, progressive regeneration of humanity. Written in what the author himself has called a “normalized writing,” this book visits a lifetime of moments that have in common the force of amazement, brilliance, and a flash of life. Grounded in experiences from the author’s childhood and his family’s role in the French Resistance, Coma is a tale of initiation that provides an invaluable key to interpreting Guyotat’s work, past and future. [publishers’ note]

Translated by Noura Wedell.

Preface by Gary Indiana.

Published by Semiotext(e), 2010
Literature