Papers, in order

Below are joint materials written by Shannon Stevens and myself. The purpose of this ritornello is to "get my papers in order" both chronologically and in the Foucauldian (2013) sense, considering the twists and turns that have come to define work that is always in progress.

Make sure your papers are in order

Three quotes from Foucault's Archaeology of Knowledge (2013)

Michel Foucault, in his book "The Archaeology of Knowledge & the Discourse on Language," raises questions about the consistency of identity, particularly in relation to the questions and criticisms we receive from others. He asks, "Are you going to change yet again, shift your position according to the questions that are put to you, and say that the objections are not really directed at the place from which you are speaking?" (pp. 17-18) .

He continues, "What, do you imagine that I would take so much trouble and so much pleasure in writing, do you think that I would keep so persistently to my task, if I were not preparing – with a rather shaky hand – a labyrinth into which I can venture, into which I can move my discourse... in which I can lose myself and appear at last to eyes that I will never have to meet again. I am no doubt not the only one who writes in order to have no face" (pp. 17-18).  

He states, "Do not ask who I am and do not ask me to remain the same: leave it to our bureaucrats and our police to see that our papers are in order. At least spare us their morality when we write" (pp. 17-18).  This suggests that writing should be evaluated on its own merit, rather than based on the identity of the author or their personal beliefs.

As I have evolved and my perspectives have changed over time, it would be impossible for me to defend my past work using the conventions of the present. 

Foucault, M. (2013). The archaeology of knowledge & the discourse on language. Pantheon. (Original work published 1970)

Timelines for the collaborative writing