Autobiography and Fiction for Virginia Woolf and Paul B. Preciado: “Orlandos”

Abstract

In this article, we propose a discussion on the connection between literature, cinema, autobiographies and life, relating to and discussing the consequences of this encounter. The main thesis defended here is based on bringing literature closer to life, and that, when exploring the autobiographical, it would be ideal to create a discursive field regarding this contamination of genres, that is, to follow a perspective of expanded analysis of art, theory and criticism, based on an interpretative approach to the literary text, in order to recognize it as an artistic object, in its strict relation to life. Thus, we wish to investigate Virginia Woolf's writings based on the works: The Diaries of Virginia Woolf (1989), and Orlando (1928), making an intercession with the film Orlando: My Political Biography by Paul B. Preciado (2023), with the aim of developing this discursive field between literature, cinema, life and work in Woolf's writing to relate different areas of knowledge, such as: dramaturgy, philosophy and psychoanalysis. In this sense, discussions related to themes that are considered fundamental in the scope of Literature, and the arts in general, are considered of utmost importance, about the notions of life and work, reality and fiction, author and reader, representation and totality of a literary work. These notions, which the creative proposal of the writer and thinker Virginia Woolf asks to put into practice, due to its inventive character, allow us to conceive such proposal under the aspect of contemporary writing. To develop these discussions, we will join forces with a network of authors who understand literary texts and their artistic attributes, enabling the development of a critique that highlights the potential of the material to be analyzed. From this perspective, we will approach concepts such as Autobiographical Pact developed by Phillipe Lejeune (1971), Slice of Life and Impersonation developed by Jean-Pierre Sarrazac (2012 and 2017), and gender and identity developed by Judith Butler (1990), which, when related to Virginia Woolf's writing, enable a theoretical expansion that allows connections between Literature and other fields of art.

Keywords: Virginia Woolf. Paul B. Preciado. Autobiography. Fiction. Contemporary Literature.