Anachronistic Group Portrait: Lone Wolves in Writing Theory

Holding hands with contemporary theoretical masters, traversing the desert of the times.

Loneliness is the essence of writing; contemplation strengthens resolve.

Writing is for pain relief, or for soul appeasement.

This book's themes revolve around death, loneliness, struggle, trauma, memory, growth, communication, and expression. Writing is for pain relief, or, as Haruki Murakami puts it, for "soul appeasement" – for the living and the dead in purgatory!

——Law Wing-Sang
 

Theory is a vantage point that provides us with a framework to observe our times and ourselves, and to contemplate reality and action. This book focuses on contemporary trends in Continental philosophy, including Roland Barthes, Walter Benjamin, Foucault, Agamben, Susan Sontag, and others; it also discusses renowned contemporary authors such as Haruki Murakami, Kundera, Rilke, Hsia Yu, and Xi Xi. The book delves into the works of great theorists and classic authors to uncover the roots of theoretical writing, exploring the intrinsic drive and self-discipline involved in writing. It simultaneously confronts negative conditions such as serious criticism being drowned out by online chatter, a low reading climate, and a state of speechlessness induced by contemporary circumstances. It then turns to seek the firm will to write, combining critical power with emotional evocation. This is a must-read for contemporary theory enthusiasts, literati, creators, and graduate students.