This page is a curated collection of resources for students enrolled in Avra Spector's spring 2022 "Julia Kristeva" course. Looking for a resource you can't find here? Reach out to library@cooper.edu or mary.mann@cooper.edu for assistance!
In 2016, Kristeva told the literary journal Dibur the following about her personal papers. As of 2022, it appears that her papers remain unarchived:
"Archive material obviously includes the notebooks where I’ve written down my thoughts, my interpretations of various things I’ve read, drafts, letters, but also photos, films....I have stored away in my basement—and I’m afraid that it all may have mildewed over time—all the material I just referred to, by that I mean, various notebooks, drafts, different books especially, but also letters from a number of prominent figures with whom I have corresponded, or am still corresponding, letters to family members, personal letters, etc.
The way I see it is that all the archives will have to be filed according to theme and chronology, taking into account what could be considered personal, and what could be considered as conveying a political or intellectual message. This is the work of the archivist, this is what they do. Something I never realized before. I always thought it would be a matter of entrusting someone with this part of me that makes me what I am. This question of confidence is undoubtedly one of the issues that held me back. I’m not sure that a professional archivist knows how intimate the intellectual work I do can be."
However, archival material relating to Kristeva can be found in the following locations:
Kristeva also shared her memories and personal papers with the writer Samuel Dock for the creation of Je me voyage, a series of autobiographical interviews which has not yet been translated into English. The French edition is available at New York Public Library as well as through the Cooper Union library consortium agreement with NYU. There is also an English-language video of her speaking about this book on her website.
Below is a brief list of library books and databases that might be useful in your research. This list is not exhaustive, so you might want to explore the catalog and our other databases for more.
While "contemporary issue" usually means something that can quickly be found by googling, not all - or even most! - of the results will be reliable. To gauge whether you can rely on a piece of information for your research, ask the following questions:
You can find a more curated collection of sources via the Cooper Union catalog and databases. The Cooper Union library also provides a free subscription to the New York Times, as well as access to a wide variety of peer-reviewed journals.
We're happy to help you evaluate the reliability of any resource! Just come on into the library, chat us on our website, or email library@cooper.edu.
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