“Morante and Kafka: The Gothic Walking Dead and Talking Animals.” Chapter Four in Elsa  Morante’s Politics of Writing: Rethinking Subjectivity, History and the Power of Art. Ed. Stefania Lucamante. Fairleigh Dickinson UP. Forthcoming, January 2015.

In this chapter I discuss Morante’s comments on the Max Ernst illustration of Odradek (from Kafka’s “Die Sorge des Hausvaters”). The Ernst illustration, one of the earliest of Kafka’s works, was published in an issue of Minotaure that includes André Breton’s description of Kafka under the heading “Têtes d’orage.” It’s surreal. 

Although I contacted various people for permissions, I was not able to reach anyone who held them. The illustration is too interesting not to share. Please write me if you would like more information or if you are the person with whom to discuss permissions.