Annel Pieterse | Stellenbosch University (original) (raw)
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Papers by Annel Pieterse
Tydskrif vir Letterkunde, 2020
Scrutiny2, 2018
This paper provides a reading, through a decolonial lens, of the debut work of two recently publi... more This paper provides a reading, through a decolonial lens, of the debut work of two recently published South African poets, Sindiswa Busuku-Mathese and Koleka Putuma. In the work of both poets, the reader encounters contemporary South African black womxn subjects, constructed in the matrix of global coloniality. The works articulate issues of identity and belonging, with which many young South Africans are undoubtedly grappling. Both poets identify, interrogate, and resist what might be termed the realms of coloniality-namely coloniality of power, coloniality of knowledge, and coloniality of being-in a process of "unlearning". A close reading of the themes and aesthetics of these two poets suggests that the site of enunciation for the speaking subjects that emerge is located at the fault lines between two or more very divergent knowledge frameworks.
South African Theatre Journal, 2012
This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Any substantial or s... more This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sub-licensing, systematic supply, or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. The publisher does not give any warranty express or implied or make any representation that the contents will be complete or accurate or up to date. The accuracy of any instructions, formulae, and drug doses should be independently verified with primary sources. The publisher shall not be liable for any loss, actions, claims, proceedings, demand, or costs or damages whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with or arising out of the use of this material.
Social Dynamics-a Journal of The Centre for African Studies University of Cape Town, 2012
Scrutiny2 23.1, 2018
This paper provides a reading, through a decolonial lens, of the debut work of two recently publi... more This paper provides a reading, through a decolonial lens, of the debut work of two recently published South African poets, Sindiswa Busuku-Mathese and Koleka Putuma. In the work of both poets, the reader encounters contemporary South African black womxn subjects, constructed in the matrix of global coloniality. The works articulate issues of identity and belonging, with which many young South Africans are undoubtedly grappling. Both poets identify, interrogate, and resist what might be termed the realms of coloniality—namely coloniality of power, coloniality of knowledge, and coloniality of being—in a process of “unlearning”. A close reading of the themes and aesthetics of these two poets suggests that the site of enunciation for the speaking subjects that emerge is located at the fault lines between two or more very divergent knowledge frameworks.
English in Africa , 2014
How has South African literature conceived of a commonality that includes multiple relations with... more How has South African literature conceived of a commonality that includes multiple relations with the phenomenal world? My essay addresses this question by tracing the representation of witchcraft and the supernatural in a selection of key South African literary texts, namely, Thomas Mofolo's Chaka, Es'kia Mphahlele's Down Second Avenue and Phaswane Mpe's Welcome to our Hillbrow. I proceed from the assumptions that a belief in occult powers is often central to local knowledge systems in South Africa, and that this belief should be acknowledged as a commonplace feature of life if one is to understand certain aspects of the social, political and, by extension, literary landscape. In this regard, I imagine the supernatural functioning like dark matter: it is an invisible factor that determines the shape of everything around it. The topic of the supernatural and witchcraft produces a kind of occulting effect, which results in silences and gaps in our understanding of the social. This occultation extends to literary studies, where the representation of the supernatural in literature receives surprisingly little attention.
South African Theatre Journal, 2012
Current Writing, 2007
Because the intersection of space and ideology is so prominent in South Africa, the appropriation... more Because the intersection of space and ideology is so prominent in South Africa, the appropriation of physical space becomes a crucial aspect of ideological struggle. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the way landscapes are aestheticised. In a situation where an alienation from the landscape has occurred, a re‐identification is needed. When spaces are reoccupied, translated, and invested with new significance, it is never simply a literal appropriation of space. Instead, the effort of such a reappropriation of physical space impacts in complex ways on the way identity is negotiated and valued. This paper argues that Antjie Krog's recent English prose works, Country of My Skull and A Change of Tongue, participate in and comment on this reappraisal and refraction of South African subjectivities precisely through their attentiveness to the contested nature of material space. Moreover, the way these memoirs engage space relates directly to the kinds of anxieties generated around the factuality/fictionality of Krog's texts that have dominated criticism of her work, especially in the last year or so.
Book Chapters by Annel Pieterse
Multimedia Research and Documentation of Oral Genres in Africa: The Step Forward
Experience of Freedom in Postcolonial Literatures and Cultures
Other by Annel Pieterse
A collection of ghost stories by student writers from the University of the Western Cape and Stel... more A collection of ghost stories by student writers from the University of the Western Cape and Stellenbosch University.
Reviews by Annel Pieterse
Tydskrif vir Letterkunde, 2020
Safundi: The Journal of South African and American Studies, 2019
The South African film industry is currently experiencing a period of accelerated growth, and sev... more The South African film industry is currently experiencing a period of accelerated growth, and several locally made filmsalbeit with international backinghave been released to both local and international acclaim. These films are noteworthy for their formal experimentation as well as the ways in which they address questions of masculinity, violence, and queer identity in South Africa.
Safundi Vol. 18 No. 4, 2017
These Book Notes offer a brief overview of current material that articulates the shifting relatio... more These Book Notes offer a brief overview of current material that articulates the shifting relationship between South Africa and the United States, but also South Africa’s engage- ment with global politics more broadly. Most of the extant studies are concerned with South African–American relations of the apartheid period; these notes are prefaced by a summary of current public debates in South Africa, articulating the country’s immediate engagement with global politics.
Tydskrif vir Letterkunde, 2020
Scrutiny2, 2018
This paper provides a reading, through a decolonial lens, of the debut work of two recently publi... more This paper provides a reading, through a decolonial lens, of the debut work of two recently published South African poets, Sindiswa Busuku-Mathese and Koleka Putuma. In the work of both poets, the reader encounters contemporary South African black womxn subjects, constructed in the matrix of global coloniality. The works articulate issues of identity and belonging, with which many young South Africans are undoubtedly grappling. Both poets identify, interrogate, and resist what might be termed the realms of coloniality-namely coloniality of power, coloniality of knowledge, and coloniality of being-in a process of "unlearning". A close reading of the themes and aesthetics of these two poets suggests that the site of enunciation for the speaking subjects that emerge is located at the fault lines between two or more very divergent knowledge frameworks.
South African Theatre Journal, 2012
This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Any substantial or s... more This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sub-licensing, systematic supply, or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. The publisher does not give any warranty express or implied or make any representation that the contents will be complete or accurate or up to date. The accuracy of any instructions, formulae, and drug doses should be independently verified with primary sources. The publisher shall not be liable for any loss, actions, claims, proceedings, demand, or costs or damages whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with or arising out of the use of this material.
Social Dynamics-a Journal of The Centre for African Studies University of Cape Town, 2012
Scrutiny2 23.1, 2018
This paper provides a reading, through a decolonial lens, of the debut work of two recently publi... more This paper provides a reading, through a decolonial lens, of the debut work of two recently published South African poets, Sindiswa Busuku-Mathese and Koleka Putuma. In the work of both poets, the reader encounters contemporary South African black womxn subjects, constructed in the matrix of global coloniality. The works articulate issues of identity and belonging, with which many young South Africans are undoubtedly grappling. Both poets identify, interrogate, and resist what might be termed the realms of coloniality—namely coloniality of power, coloniality of knowledge, and coloniality of being—in a process of “unlearning”. A close reading of the themes and aesthetics of these two poets suggests that the site of enunciation for the speaking subjects that emerge is located at the fault lines between two or more very divergent knowledge frameworks.
English in Africa , 2014
How has South African literature conceived of a commonality that includes multiple relations with... more How has South African literature conceived of a commonality that includes multiple relations with the phenomenal world? My essay addresses this question by tracing the representation of witchcraft and the supernatural in a selection of key South African literary texts, namely, Thomas Mofolo's Chaka, Es'kia Mphahlele's Down Second Avenue and Phaswane Mpe's Welcome to our Hillbrow. I proceed from the assumptions that a belief in occult powers is often central to local knowledge systems in South Africa, and that this belief should be acknowledged as a commonplace feature of life if one is to understand certain aspects of the social, political and, by extension, literary landscape. In this regard, I imagine the supernatural functioning like dark matter: it is an invisible factor that determines the shape of everything around it. The topic of the supernatural and witchcraft produces a kind of occulting effect, which results in silences and gaps in our understanding of the social. This occultation extends to literary studies, where the representation of the supernatural in literature receives surprisingly little attention.
South African Theatre Journal, 2012
Current Writing, 2007
Because the intersection of space and ideology is so prominent in South Africa, the appropriation... more Because the intersection of space and ideology is so prominent in South Africa, the appropriation of physical space becomes a crucial aspect of ideological struggle. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the way landscapes are aestheticised. In a situation where an alienation from the landscape has occurred, a re‐identification is needed. When spaces are reoccupied, translated, and invested with new significance, it is never simply a literal appropriation of space. Instead, the effort of such a reappropriation of physical space impacts in complex ways on the way identity is negotiated and valued. This paper argues that Antjie Krog's recent English prose works, Country of My Skull and A Change of Tongue, participate in and comment on this reappraisal and refraction of South African subjectivities precisely through their attentiveness to the contested nature of material space. Moreover, the way these memoirs engage space relates directly to the kinds of anxieties generated around the factuality/fictionality of Krog's texts that have dominated criticism of her work, especially in the last year or so.
Multimedia Research and Documentation of Oral Genres in Africa: The Step Forward
Experience of Freedom in Postcolonial Literatures and Cultures
A collection of ghost stories by student writers from the University of the Western Cape and Stel... more A collection of ghost stories by student writers from the University of the Western Cape and Stellenbosch University.
Tydskrif vir Letterkunde, 2020
Safundi: The Journal of South African and American Studies, 2019
The South African film industry is currently experiencing a period of accelerated growth, and sev... more The South African film industry is currently experiencing a period of accelerated growth, and several locally made filmsalbeit with international backinghave been released to both local and international acclaim. These films are noteworthy for their formal experimentation as well as the ways in which they address questions of masculinity, violence, and queer identity in South Africa.
Safundi Vol. 18 No. 4, 2017
These Book Notes offer a brief overview of current material that articulates the shifting relatio... more These Book Notes offer a brief overview of current material that articulates the shifting relationship between South Africa and the United States, but also South Africa’s engage- ment with global politics more broadly. Most of the extant studies are concerned with South African–American relations of the apartheid period; these notes are prefaced by a summary of current public debates in South Africa, articulating the country’s immediate engagement with global politics.
Http Dx Doi Org 10 1080 02533952 2012 699247, Mar 1, 2012
South African Theatre Journal, 2014