Derridagraphy: writing about the writer. A review of Derrida’s biography by Benoît Peeters (Peters B. Derrida. Kralechkin D., transl. from Fr. Moscow: Izdatelskiy dom “Delo” RANKHiGS Publ.; 2018. 640 p.)

Abstract

The review presents the fi and only (to the date) biography of Jacques Derrida: “Derrida” by Benoît Peeters (Peters B. Derrida. Kralechkin D., transl. from Fr. Moscow: Izdatelskiy dom “Delo” RANKHiGS Publ.; 2018. 640 p.). The importance of this publication, which highlights not so well known pages of Derrida’s life and writings is shown here. Attention is paid not only for the obvious achievements of the biographer, but for the blank spots still escaping the inquisitive eye of the researcher of the heritage and life of Derrida as well.

The review is an attempt to consider the possibility of writing about the writer, biographying of self-biograper and self-archivist, thereat having transformed images of the biography, archive, letter, self-reproducing with the help of writing. The neutral and unremarkable style of Derrida the biographer is presented both as an inevitable move and as a technique – an attempt to highlight the “other” who is being biographed, and as another escaping the challenge of Derrida to deconstruct not only the author of the deconstruction (as a specific term, neologism), but all the contexts, genres, categories, where the perception of philosopher’s life and “method” are written in, as well.