Who is Susan Sontag? Books by Philosophy&Co and Melina Alexia Varnavoglou.

Susan Sontag es “The only interesting answers are those that destroy the question.”

Is Susan Sontag a phrase?

Philosophy&Cowithin its Caverna collection, has a book dedicated to the writer, film director, screenwriter, philosopher and thinker. And the presentation, in addition to putting her name in big letters, so much so that it seems that she is the author of the book and not the author we are going to read about, opens with this phrase that seems so significant to me. As I already said in Portable poetryWhoever chose this phrase from all of Sontag’s bibliography has my complete admiration, because it is a faithful portrait of the writer.

Although Susan’s name appears in large print on the cover, the author is Melina Alexia Varnavoglouan Argentine poet, bookseller and essayist who collaborates as a journalist in Filosofía&Co and in different Latin American media and who found Sontag’s work at a bookstall when she was a teenager. Melina says: «At the time, I thought that owning a book by Susan Sontag automatically made me a person who thought and read like her.» When she opened the index of the book, she realized the gulf that separated them. But she prepared herself thoroughly and now writes about Susan in this work from Filosofia&Co.

It is a short, concrete work that summarizes and It reflects Sontag’s most burning points very well. and she does it, moreover, with good taste, and with a personal touch where we also discover Melina Alexia Varnavoglou who, although some time ago she wanted to be like Sontag, has her own style. The little book is entertaining, she lends herself as a voluntary victim to underline all its sentences and take notes and rekindles the fire of interest in this woman who was a pioneer, revolutionary and born thinkerIn fact, something that Melina and I are probably wondering is what Sontag would think of these years in which we live. I’m sure she would have something interesting to say.

But Who is Susan Sontag? Sontag is recognized as one of the most important intellectuals of the 20th century. Of American origin, she was multifaceted and composed a work in which changes of genre were common. One of her most famous works is Against interpretation (the book that Melina found at that stand) and everything that could be debated at the time, she commented on it without hesitation. With tranquility, You can find an entertaining biography of the author in the book Filosofía&Co and also various comments on her main work,Against interpretation, which seems like a book against Freud.

Melina Alexia Varnavoglou lets us see that Susan was many throughout her life and points out some of the writer’s central ideas, such as the limit as liberation. This is the part I like the most. Getting to know Susan Sontag through hers highlights thanks to the good choice made in this book. Did you know that Warhol nicknamed her Miss Camp? Or what is it? the campsomething to which Susan dedicated part of her work? Melina also chooses another essay that seems to me to be central to the author’s career, which is Illness and its metaphors where Sontag basically tells us (and she does so as a cancer patient) that the word cancer basically activates the word death.

An interview with the researcher, essayist and editor specializing in film topics is added, Sebastian Santillanto delve into the author’s most cinematic figure and, finally, a glossary of terms by Irene Ortiz Gala to round off the brief but intense understanding that is made in this book about Susan Sontag.

Susan Sontag of Melina Alexia Varnavoglouedited by Philosophy&Cois a short, entertaining essay with well-chosen highlights about one of the most influential thinkers of the 20th century in the West. Necessary and enjoyable.