Thiltges, Sébastian

THILTGES, Sébastian

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This	is	a	draft.	Please	use	the	final	print	version	for	any	quote	or	reference.			What	“Taking	Place”	Means:	Pierre	Schoentjes’	Écopoétique		Sébastian	Thiltges	Universität	des	Saarlandes	/	FNR.lu			Pierre	Schoentjes,	Ce	qui	a	lieu.	Essai	d’écopoétique	(Marseille:	Éditions	Wildproject,	2015),	295pp.			 Pierre	Schoentjes,	a	professor	for	French	literature	at	the	University	of	Gent,	has	been	known	for	his	studies	of	literature	and	irony1,	as	well	as	First	World	War	fiction2.	More	recently,	his	 interest	has	turned	towards	the	relationship	between	literature	and	the	environment.	This	has	not	only	led	to	a	series	of	papers3,	but	also	to	a	special	issue	of	the	Revue	critique	de	fixxion	francaise	contemporaine4,	and	to	the	book	under	review.	Ce	qui	a	lieu	aims	to	open	up	the	new	critical	field	of	“écopoétique”	(I	will	continue	to	use	the	French	term	instead	of	translating	it	to	“ecopoetics,”	since	the	latter	suggests	a	stronger	 link	 to	American-rooted	 transcendentalism	 and	nature	writing).	Écopoétique,	Schoentjes	 insists,	must	not	 to	be	conflated	with	ecocriticism5,	whose	political	agenda,	characterized	 by	 “national,	 lyrical	 and	 militant	 approaches6 ,”	 he	 strongly	 rejects.	Écopoétique	 is	 described	 as	 the	 study	 of	 the	 relationship	 between	 literature	 and	 the	environment	as	perceived	by	the	senses	(“la	réalité	concrète	des	choses,”	18;	“au	contact	du	monde	sensible,”	35).	 It	 is	defined	not	by	a	 literary	topic,	nor	by	a	conceptual	 turn,	but	rather	is	seen	as	the	contextual	result	of	an	increasing	concern	for	the	environment	(13).	 The	cornerstone	of	Schoentjes’	écopoétique	is	his	reading	of	French	writer	Pierre	Gascar	 (1916-1997):	 “The	 sensual	 appetite	 for	 the	 world	 defines	 Gascar:	 it	 is	 the	intimate	 experience	 of	 nature	 that	 helps	 the	 writer	 to	 imagine	 the	 real.	Without	 this	intimate	experience,	mythology,	history,	ethnology	and	natural	sciences	are	not	able	to	describe	 the	real	world”	 (214;	 this	and	all	 subsequent	 translations	are	by	S.	T.).	Along	with	 the	 rejection	 of	 positivism,	 anthropomorphic	 symbolism,	 and	 moralism	 (217),	literature’s	aesthetic	unveiling	of	place	encourages	the	reader	to	rethink	the	relationship	between	reality	and	imagination	(204-205).	Whereas	Gaston	Bachelard’s	La	Poétique	de	l’espace	 (1957)	 still	 strongly	 influences	 the	 way	 French	 literary	 studies	 address	 the	relationship	between	space	and	imagination,	Schoentjes	quotes	(180)	Lawrence	Buell’s	formulation	 that	 “[t]here	never	was	 an	 is	without	 a	where”	 (Buell	 2001:	 55)	 to	 argue																																																									1	Poétique	de	l’ironie.	Paris:	Seuil,	2001.	Print.	Silhouettes	de	l’ironie.	Geneva:	Droz,	2007.	Print.	2	Fictions	de	la	Grande	Guerre.	Paris:	Classiques	Garnier,	2008.	Print.	La	Grande	Guerre.	Un	siècle	de	fictions	romanesques.	Geneva:	Droz,	2008.	Print.	A	la	baïonnette	ou	au	scalpel.	Comment	l’horreur	s’écrit	(co-dir.	De	Mulder,	Caroline).	Geneva:	Droz,	2009.	Print.	3	Pierre	Schoentjes’	entire	bibliography	may	be	consulted	here:	Web.	22	Mar.	2016.	https://biblio.ugent.be/person/801000734934.		4	Romestaing,	Alain,	and	Pierre	Schoentjes,	Anne	Simon	(ed.),	Ecopoétique	11	(2015).	Web.	13	Mar.	2016.	http://www.revue-critique-de-fixxion-francaise-contemporaine.org/rcffc/issue/view/21.		5	For	one	of	the	first	comments	on	French	reception	of	ecocriticism,	see	Blanc	et	al.	2008.		6	“Schoentjes,	Pierre.	Ce	qui	a	lieu.	Essai	d'écopoétique.”	Fabula,	2015.	Web.	1	Feb.	2016.	http://www.fabula.org/actualites/pierre-schoentjes-ce-qui-a-lieu-essai-d-ecopoetique_67172.php.		This	is	a	draft.	Please	use	the	final	print	version	for	any	quote	or	reference.			that	a	place	can	be	“fill[ed]”	(180)	with	imagination	and	meaning.	That	this	is	not	only	a	metaphorical,	but	an	onto-geographic	bond	is	best	illustrated	by	the	book’s	title,	Ce	qui	a	lieu,	which	 suggests	 –	 as	 does	 the	 English	 expression	 “taking	 place”	 –	 that	 everything	that	happens	is	locally	situated.	Despite	 the	 seemingly	 universal	 appeal	 of	 this	 argument,	 Schoentjes	 notes,	ecocriticism	has	struggled	to	gain	a	foothold	in	France.	This	may	be	due	to	very	practical	reasons,	such	as	the	absence	of	translations	(22),	but	Schoentjes	also	stresses	the	lack	of	a	 theoretical	 framework,	especially	among	the	early	ecocritics	of	 the	1990s,	who	were	very	 attentive	 readers	 of	 Anglophone	 literature	 rather	 than	 literary	 theorists	 (ibid.).	Finally,	 he	 explains	 how	 ecocriticism,	 having	 emerged	 from	 an	 interdisciplinary	 and	“meta-contextual”	tradition	of	cultural	studies	(Clark	2010:	4),	differs	profoundly	from	French	 literary	criticism,	which	 is	based	on	a	more	aesthetic	and	poetic	paradigm	and	emphases	the	work	of	writing	and	imagination.	This	difference	is	exemplified	by	Buell’s	definition	of	environmental	literature,	which	can	neither	be	easily	applied	to	other	texts,	nor	 provides	 aesthetical	 and	 poetical	 tools,	 since	 it	 is	 focused	 almost	 entirely	 on	 the	thematic	and	ethical	dimensions	of	fictional	texts	(77).		For	Schoentjes,	however,	it	is	all	about	literature,	as	he	describes	his	book	as	an	“essai”	 (attempt)	 to	 combine	 the	 reader’s	 curiosity	 and	 pleasure	 with	 theoretical	ambitions	 (13).	 Thus	 he	 emphasizes	 the	 relationship	 between	 ecocriticism	 and	postmodernism	 (27-28,	 239-240,	258),	 the	 theoretical	 attempt	 to	 escape	 localism	and	regionalism	 through	 irony	 (262)	 and	 cosmopolitanism	 (268,	 with	 the	 reference	 to	Ursula	Heise’s	Sense	of	Place	and	Sense	of	Planet),	and	 the	 tension	between	reality	and	imagination	(273).	This	 “poetic	paradigm”	(16)	shows	how	literature	changes	 the	way	we	 look	–	conceptually	and	phenomenologically	–	at	places	and	 landscapes	(100-101).	All	in	all,	whereas	ecocriticism	in	its	first	iteration	focuses	on	nature	writing,	écopoétique	is	about	the	writing	of	place	(“lieu”)	and	a	particular	European	literary	“sense	of	place”	which	is	always	“situated	historically	and	geographically”	(Heise	2008:	8).	It	must	be	noted,	however,	that	Schoentjes’	ample	commentary	on	the	American	tradition	of	nature	writing	 is	 largely	sympathetic,	 and	 that	he	draws	much	 inspiration	from	Anglophone	 ecocriticism.	His	 observations	 and	 translations	will	 provide	 French-speaking	 researchers	on	 literature	 and	 the	 environment	with	 a	better	 insight	 into	 the	field	and	possibly	enable	 them	to	develop	 their	own	orientation(s).	Schoentjes	regrets	that,	even	if	ecocriticism	has	developed	internationally,	the	“French	cultural	and	literary	reality”	 (23)	 has	 not	 been	 a	 field	 of	 interest.	 At	 the	 same	 time,	 he	 stays	 surprisingly	elusive	on	the	French	and	European	contexts	and	how	they	have	adopted	ecocriticism.	As	Hicham-Stéphane	Afeissa	has	noted	in	another	review	(2015:	n.p.),	the	contributions	to	 the	 concept	 of	 landscape	 by	 Alain	 Roger	 (31),	 as	 well	 as	 to	 géopoétique	 and	géocritique	by	Kenneth	White,	Michel	Collot,	and	Bertrand	Westphal,	among	others,	are	only	briefly	mentioned	(24).	It	would	also	have	been	useful	to	explore	how	French	and	European	 thinkers	have	attempted	 to	articulate	aesthetics	and	poetics	with	ethics	and	politics,	 rather	 than	merely	 stating	 the	 scepticism	of	French	 literary	 criticism	 towards	the	 latter	 (even	 if	 the	 author	 stresses	 that	 the	 “hostility”	 towards	 Anglophone	methodology	is	often	“a	caricature,”	23).		This	is	a	draft.	Please	use	the	final	print	version	for	any	quote	or	reference.			In	order	to	show	that	nature	is	in	perpetual	transformation,	Schoentjes	proposes	a	 typology	 of	 natural	 places,	 which,	 especially	 in	 the	 French	 context,	 does	 include	“domesticated	 territories7”.	 This	 typology	 (28-24)	 is	 based	 on	 real	 and	 on	 fictional	places,	and	drawn	mainly	from	books,	but	also	from	movies	and	visual	arts:	Planet	Earth	“and	 beyond”	 (“La	 nature	 au-delà	 de	 la	 Terre,”	 29),	 spectacular	 landscapes	 (inherited	from	 romanticism),	 rural	 nature	 facing	 urbanisation	 and	 being	 rediscovered	 by	contemporary	writers	such	as	 Jean-Loup	Trassard	(89),	urban	nature	and,	 last	but	not	least,	wilderness.	 The	 latter	 receives	 particular	 attention	 from	 the	 author.	Wilderness	has	 been	 rightfully	 described	 as	 a	 concept	 rooted	 in	 a	US	American	 cultural	 tradition	which	 cannot	 be	 easily	 applied	 to	 other	 geographical	 and	 cultural	 contexts	 (Larrère	2015:	25).	However,	with	reference	to	the	work	of	Hubert	Mingarelli	and	André	Bucher,	two	well-known	 readers	of	nature	writing	 (86),	 Schoentjes	 insists	 that	 texts	do	 travel	and	that	the	fascination	with	wilderness	has	become	a	global	phenomenon.		The	 first	 part	 of	 the	 book	 addresses	 the	 evolution	 of	 the	 poetic	 depiction	 of	natural	places	in	European	texts,	thus	drawing	parallels	between	the	cultural	history	of	nature,	 the	 emergence	 of	 ecological	 thinking,	 and	 the	 history	 of	 literature.	 This	diachronic	investigation	starts	with	a	prolegomenon	of	ecological	writing	from	the	19th	century	 to	1945,	highlighting	 in	particular	 the	naturalistic	works	of	 geographer	Élisée	Reclus	 (48-51).	 The	 next	 section	 is	 focused	 specifically	 on	 the	 interwar	 period,	which	saw	 the	 development	 of	 a	 new	 literary	 regionalism	 fuelled	 by	 anti-modernism	 and	patriotism	(52).	The	Second	World	War	also	drastically	changed	mankind’s	perception	of	its	environment:	the	nuclear	threat	plunged	the	globe	into	a	new	era	of	finitude	and	vulnerability8;	the	cruelty	of	the	concentration	camps	gave	mankind	a	new	“place	in	the	world”	(61)	far	away	from	the	one	assigned	by	traditional	humanism.	In	the	second	half	of	the	20th	century,	literature	developed	a	genuinely	ecological	sensibility,	illustrated	by	the	 work	 of	 writers	 such	 as	 Romain	 Gary	 (63)	 or	 Pierre	 Gascar	 (66-67).	 Finally,	 the	contemporary	 period	 (post-1980)	 saw	 literature	 integrate	 environmental	 problems	with	a	wider	spectrum	of	socio-political	interests,	as	can	be	seen	in	Antoine	Volodine’s	treatment	of	post-apocalyptic	and	post-human	society	in	the	novel	Songes	de	Mevlido,	or	of	species	extinction	in	Éric	Chevillard’s	Sans	l’orang-outan	(92).		The	 second	and	 third	part	 of	 the	book	develop	 a	 cartography	of	 natural	 places	based	 upon	 the	 author’s	 wide-ranging	 literary	 excursions	 and	 experiences	 of	 both	fictional	texts	and	real	places.	Because	Schoentjes	is	mindful	of	staying	close	to	the	texts,	his	cartography,	picking	up	the	typology	developed	in	the	first	part	and	complementing	it	 with	 thematic,	 generic,	 and	 poetic	 classifications,	 puts	 together	 a	 vast	 catalogue	 of	European	 place	 writing.	 Besides	 the	 universality	 of	 environmental	 problems,	 which	require	us	to	think	beyond	national	boundaries	(14),	Schoentjes	repeatedly	stresses	the	cosmopolitan	dimension	of	writing	and	reading	and	points	out	 that,	as	a	consequence,	literature	 should	 not	 be	 seen	 as	 closed	 in	 upon	 itself	 (17),	 neither	 culturally	 nor																																																									7	Bess,	Michael.	La	France	vert	clair.	Ecologie	et	modernité	technologique	1960-2000.	Paris:	Champ	Vallon,	2011,	p.	175.	8	Schoentjes’	argument	here	runs	parallel	to	current	discussions	about	the	Anthropocene	–	a	connection	which,	however,	he	does	not	draw).	This	is	a	draft.	Please	use	the	final	print	version	for	any	quote	or	reference.			aesthetically.	 Addressing	 recognised	 20th	 and	21st	 century	 authors	 (e.g.	 Claude	 Simon,	Mario	Rigoni	 Stern,	Arto	Paasilinna),	 but	 also	 inviting	his	 readers	 to	 (re-)discover	 the	work	 of	writers	who	 have	 somewhat	 sunk	 into	 oblivion	 (e.g.	 Jean-Loup	 Trassard	 and	Pierre	 Gascar,	 to	 name	 only	 two	 among	 the	many	 less-known	 authors	 treated	 in	 the	book),	 Schoentjes’	 argument	 for	 écopoétique	 presents	 a	 topical	 way	 to	 embrace	 the	complexity	and	generic	plurality	of	contemporary	prose	literature.	It	is	particularly	well-equipped	to	handle	the	many	hybrid	forms	of	fictional	and	documentary	prose,	such	as	autobiography,	travel	literature,	guide	book	writing	(Claude	Simon,	244),	the	literature	of	 adventure	 and	 the	 exotic	 (Joseph	 Kessel,	 62-63,	 and	 Sylvain	 Tesson,	 94),	 or	regionalism	 (Jean	 Giono,	 Lanza	 del	 Vasto,	 Robert	 Goffin,	54-58).	 As	 Schoentjes	systematically	 compares	 texts	 from	 the	 Anglophone	 canon	 with	 contemporaneous	works	 from	the	 literature	of	France	and,	more	broadly,	continental	Europe,	his	corpus	emerges	 as	 a	 European	 equivalent	 to	 Anglophone	 nature	 writing.	 Like	 the	 latter,	 the	texts	 on	which	 he	 focuses	 are	 characterized	 by	 formal	 hybridity,	marginality	 to	 their	respective	 national	 literary	 canon,	 strong	 links	 to	 particular	 locales	 or	 regions,	 and	ecological	thinking.		Ce	 qui	 a	 lieu	 insists	 that	 the	 multidimensionality	 of	 place	 experience	 (action,	contemplation,	primitivism,	anti-intellectualism,	or	nomadism;	162)	manifests	 itself	by	way	 of	 distinctive	 themes	 (pollution	 and	 apocalypse;	 116-123),	 aesthetic	 figures	(anthropomorphism	 and	 analogy;	 126-132)	 and	 cultural	 concepts	 (polarities;	 273).	 It	gives	birth	to	a	range	of	different	genres	(125),	including	both	traditional	literary	forms	(pastoral,	 fable,	 utopia,	 exempla;	 142)	 and	 more	 recent	 ones,	 such	 as	 science-fiction	(120).	 This	 heterogeneity	 of	 the	 primary	 texts	 which	 Schoentjes’	 study	 addresses,	 as	well	 as	 the	multiplicity	 of	 approaches	 and	 theoretical	 frameworks	 on	which	 it	 draws,	make	 it	 quite	 impossible	 to	 present	 a	 comprehensive	 summary,	 at	 least	 within	 the	confines	 of	 a	 brief	 review.	 Ce	 qui	 a	 lieu	 indeed	 takes	 its	 readers	 on	 a	 journey	 that	unsettles	 many	 of	 the	 assumptions	 ecocritics	 tend	 to	 take	 for	 granted.	 It	 is	 for	 good	reasons	 that	 in	 the	 book’s	 conclusion,	 Schoentjes	 speaks	 of	 “les	 écopoétiques”	 in	 the	plural	 (276),	 suggesting	 the	 need	 for	 a	 further	 diversification	 of	 the	 field.	 He	 clearly	states	 that	 the	 very	 nature	 of	 environmental	 issues	 makes	 it	 imperative	 to	 consider	contemporary	French	 fiction	 in	 the	 light	of	 its	 connections	 to	American	and	European	literature	 (17).	 However,	 on	 the	 methodological	 level,	 this	 questioning	 of	 national	frames	 is	 pursued	 with	 less	 rigor.	 Sometimes,	 Schoentjes	 stresses	 cultural	 and	epistemological	 specificities,	 which	 are	 terminologically	 suggested	 by	 the	 author’s	insistence	of	using	“écopoétique”	to	describe	a	more	poetic	paradigm	than	ecocriticism	and	cultural	studies.	At	other	times,	he	adopts	an	approach	that	one	might	designate	as	‘cosmopoetical’.	 Such	 quibbles	 aside,	 Ce	 qui	 a	 lieu	 not	 only	 represents	 a	 seminal	contribution	to	the	study	of	 literature	and	the	environment	in	the	Francophone	world,	but	 it	 also	 constitutes	 an	 essential	 contribution	 to	 the	 environmental	 humanities	 as	 a	transnational	and	transdisciplinary	field	of	study.				This	is	a	draft.	Please	use	the	final	print	version	for	any	quote	or	reference.			Works	Cited	Afeissa,	Hicham-Stéphane.	“De	la	Terre	au	terroir:	comment	écrire	la	nature?”	Nonfiction.,	2015.	Web.	1	Feb	2016.	http://www.nonfiction.fr/article-7549-de_la_terre_au_terroir__comment_ecrire_la_nature_.htm.		Blanc,	Nathalie	and	Denis	Chartier,	Thomas	Pughe.	“Littérature	&	écologie:	vers	une	écopoétique.“ Écologie	&	politique	36.2	(2008):	15-28.	Web.		15	Mar.	2016.	http://www.ecologie-et-politique.info/IMG/pdf/36_BLANC_PUGHE_CHARTIER.pdf.	Buell,	Lawrence.	Writing	for	an	Endangered	World.	Harvard:	Belknap	Press,	2001.	Print.	Clark,	Timothy.	The	Cambridge	Introduction	to	Literature	and	the	Environment.	Cambridge:	University	Press,	2010.	Print.	Heise,	Ursula	K.	Sense	of	Place	and	Sense	of	Planet.	Oxford:	University	Press,	2008.	Print.		Larrère,	Catherine,	and	Raphaël	Larrère.	Penser	et	agir	avec	la	nature.	Paris:	Éditions	La	Découverte,	2015.	Print.		

Ecozon European Journal of Literature Culture and Environment

What “taking place” means : Pierre Schoentjes’ écopoétique

http://orbilu.uni.lu/bitstream/10993/38268/1/SThiltges%20SCHOENTJES.pdf

What “taking place” means : Pierre Schoentjes’ écopoétique

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