'n Boer in beton: "Hierdie huis" deur Kleinboer

This review article is an attempt to interpret and evaluate the novel Hierdie huis within a specific context, namely that of urban writing. This is done first and foremost with reference to Afrikaans literature, but also in a wider context with reference to English South African literature (e.g. Ivan Vladislavic) and to relevant theories like that of the city dweller (flâneur) in the critical writings of Walter Benjamin. In recent Dutch literature several novels have been published (amongst others by Marc Reugebrink and Ilja Leonard Pfeijffer) that share certain motifs and strategies with Kleinboer’s trilogy and they are discussed in greater detail. In this article the focus is on this third novel in what ostensibly is a coherent trilogy or prose cycle and not primarily a rejection of the traditional Afrikaans farm novel as often is asserted by literary critics; in actual fact it is a creative renewal of this genre, although often in a parodical fashion. In conclusion this novel is described as typical of “metamodernism” in its quest for meaningful moral and philosophical “master” narratives, rejected in postmodernism. In this novel the main character recognizes The Other as a fellow human-being and his etymological quests stresses hybridity which implies that linguistic (or racial) purity is a farce. Postcolonial métissage is central in this novel and the conclusion is that the forming of new identities has seldom (or never) been described in Afrikaans literature as in this trilogy

So lig soos klip.

So lig soos klip.Jacques Pretorius. Kaapstad: Tafelberg, 2012. 224 pp. ISBN-13: 978-0-624-05362-0

Between nostalgia and parody: The representation of childhood and youth in Afrikaans literature of the nineties

White Afrikaans literature of the sixties can be seen as typically modernist, work of the later part of the eighties and of the nineties clearly shows all the characteristics of postmodernism. Against this backdrop recent Afrikaans prose writing dealing with the representation of childhood and youth can be discussed on the basis of a few of the best and most representative texts. A tentative conclusion is that Afrikaans writing in the nineties focuses on the individualized past, an approach Linda Hutcheon calls "historical metafiction". The authorial stance in these texts fluctuates between what can be termed nostalgia and parody, and should be seen as part of a traumatic psychological process facing white South Africans in particular, namely having to deal with the past. In Afrikaans prose writing the nostalgic stance is especially prevalent in the (traditional) prose writings of authors on the right of the political spectrum. In contrast the parodic stance (dominant in recent Afrikaans prose writings) not only leans toward postmodernism - the prevailing paradigm in the Afrikaans literary context - but can almost without exception be termed "leftist" and "progressive"

Die spore van Raka: oor herskrywing en kanonisering (Deel 1)

Every literary system possesses a canon with the classical canon as the most stable and simultaneously the one with the most restrictive access. Writers and texts can only maintain their position within the canon through continuous rewriting: critical rewriting by literary critics (as shapers of taste and gate-keepers) and creative rewriting by fellow writers. In this study the critical rewriting (and rerealisation) of one of the most acclaimed and seminal texts in Afrikaans literature, Raka (1941), by N. P. van Wyk Louw is scrutinized. Since its publication this verse epic has been firmly entrenched in the classical Afrikaans literary canon and its continuous rewriting / rerealisation can act as a case study of how a literary “masterpiece” is dependent on institutional relationships, relevant characteristics and strategic position-taking within a literary field in order to retain this status. Against the backdrop of a theoretical framework set out in part one of this study, the specifics of Raka’s rewriting / rerealisation is discussed in the second part

“Die dissonansie van die dissidente diskoers”: Oor metodologie en vakbeoefening in die Geestes-wetenskappe

Meaningful, frank and even polemical academic discourse lies at the heart of scientific scholarship. Such a discourse as a bartering of ideas should be governed by the same felicity conditions (Austen, 1962) namely “quantity”, “quality”, “relation” and “manner” as any other discourse. If these conditions are not met a discourse cannot be fully actualized. This implies appreciation for valuable insights, truthful and succinct rendition of the opponent’s views and relevance and fairness in your response. It will enhance intersubjectivity – one of the most important features of any scientific endeavour. This reaction to John (2005) tries to meet these conditions in refraining from personal attestations and rather concentrating on differences pertaining to theoretical issues. The focus is therefore on methodological aspects underpinning all scientific scholarship

Kinetic CRAC uncovers a role for Nab3 in determining gene expression profiles during stress

RNA-binding proteins play a key role in shaping gene expression profiles during stress, however, little is known about the dynamic nature of these interactions and how this influences the kinetics of gene expression. To address this, we developed kinetic cross-linking and analysis of cDNAs (\u3c7CRAC), an ultraviolet cross-linking method that enabled us to quantitatively measure the dynamics of protein\u2013RNA interactions in vivo on a minute time-scale. Here, using \u3c7CRAC we measure the global RNA-binding dynamics of the yeast transcription termination factor Nab3 in response to glucose starvation. These measurements reveal rapid changes in protein\u2013RNA interactions within 1\u2009min following stress imposition. Changes in Nab3 binding are largely independent of alterations in transcription rate during the early stages of stress response, indicating orthogonal transcriptional control mechanisms. We also uncover a function for Nab3 in dampening expression of stress-responsive genes. \u3c7CRAC has the potential to greatly enhance our understanding of in vivo dynamics of protein\u2013RNA interactions

Genetic Control of Resistance to Trypanosoma brucei brucei Infection in Mice

Trypanosoma brucei are extracellular protozoa transmitted to mammalian host by the tsetse fly. They developed several mechanisms that subvert host's immune defenses. Therefore analysis of genes affecting host's resistance to infection can reveal critical aspects of host-parasite interactions. Trypanosoma brucei brucei infects many animal species including livestock, with particularly severe effects in horses and dogs. Mouse strains differ greatly in susceptibility to T. b. brucei. However, genes controlling susceptibility to this parasite have not been mapped. We analyzed the genetic control of survival after T. b. brucei infection using CcS/Dem recombinant congenic (RC) strains, each of which contains a different random set of 12.5% genes of their donor parental strain STS/A on the BALB/c genetic background. The RC strain CcS-11 is even more susceptible to parasites than BALB/c or STS/A. In F2 hybrids between BALB/c and CcS-11 we detected and mapped four loci, Tbbr1-4 (Trypanosoma brucei brucei response 1–4), that control survival after T. b. brucei infection. Tbbr1 (chromosome 3) and Tbbr2 (chromosome 12) have independent effects, Tbbr3 (chromosome 7) and Tbbr4 (chromosome 19) were detected by their mutual inter-genic interaction. Tbbr2 was precision mapped to a segment of 2.15 Mb that contains 26 genes

Degradation of YRA1 Pre-mRNA in the Cytoplasm Requires Translational Repression, Multiple Modular Intronic Elements, Edc3p, and Mex67p

The yeast YRA1 pre-mRNA contains multiple intronic elements that regulate transcript decay and translatability via the Edc3p decapping activator and the Mex67p/Mtr2p export receptor