Peggy Kamuf (b. 1947) is the Marion Frances Chevalier Professor in the Department of French and Italian at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. She attended Bucknell University (class of 1969) for her undergraduate education in French and English, and then received her PhD in Romance Studies from Cornell University in 1975. Since then, Kamuf has been a professor or visiting lecturer at universities such as Miami University, UC San Diego, University of Nottingham, Université de Paris 8, and Kingston University, as well as held a directorship position at the Collège International de Philosophie. Along with receiving several honors and awards for her work in literature, history, and literary theory, Kamuf has published numerous articles, lectures, and books such as Fictions of Feminine Desire: Disclosures of Heloise (1982), Signature Pieces: On the Institution of Authorship (1988), The Division of Literature, or the University in Deconstruction (1997), Book of Addresses (2009), and To Follow: The Wake of Jacques Derrida (2010). Kamuf is not only a leading translator of Hélène Cixous, Jean-Luc Nancy, and Derrida's works, but she also studies, and writes and lectures about, Rousseau, Woolf, Baudelaire, and Stendhal.
This collection documents the professional life and theoretical considerations of Peggy Kamuf, Marion Frances Chevalier Professor of English and Comparative Literature, University of Southern California, from 1963 to 2016. The collection includes Kamuf's writing at the outset of her academic career, including her PhD dissertation in 1975, and spans her work to the present day, encompassing essays, handwritten edits, book drafts and unpublished works, as well as correspondences with others in her field, and teaching materials with extensive lecture notes and lists of influential works. Topics include literary theory, notably questions of the role of authorship and the university in analyzing written works; French literature and thought; deconstructionism and Derrida; and feminist theory, in part, the concepts of jealousy, écriture féminine ("feminine writing"), sexual difference, and desire. Materials in this collection are in French and English. [Note: Kamuf is also renowned for her close collaboration with Derrida and the translation of his work; however, documentation thereof is housed mainly at the Derrida archives at the UC Irvine Special Collections and Institut Mémoires de l'Édition Contemporaine in France.]
Series I, BIOGRAPHICAL, 1988, contains a small set of folders that describe Kamuf's biography and career development. Items include Kamuf's resume and a narrative about her career as well as an interview. Files are arranged alphabetically by record type.
Series II, CORRESPONDENCE, 1974 – 2008, contains communications to and from Kamuf organized by subject or correspondent, as well as miscellaneous letters. Collection includes letters exchanged with Naomi Schor, whose collection established the Feminist Theory Archive at Brown University; Nelly Furman and Nancy K. Miller, mostly regarding plans for the Diacritics journal, as well as extensive theoretical discussion with the latter. Miscellaneous exchanges concern Signature Pieces, which had not yet been published; Fictions of Feminine Desire; Kamuf's essay on Paul de Man's controversial wartime journalism; invitations to lecture and participate in conferences; letters of thanks; and various requests. Files are arranged by date.
Series III, TEACHING FILES, 1977 – 2016, contains lectures, syllabi, and course proposals particularly on the subject of Literary Theory, and with an occasional focus upon the role of the university; other subjects include Derrida and French literature and cinema – regarding, variously, contemporary and 18th-century works. Files are arranged by date.
Series IV, WRITINGS AND RELATED, 1972-2016, series contains both long- and short-form works by Kamuf, ranging from book drafts to book reviews, talks, articles. Both published and unpublished works are included, as well as manuscripts and edits from Kamuf. This series is arranged into 8 subseries.
Articles, 1972 – 2012, contains published and unpublished essays, typescripts, and related notes written by Kamuf. Files are arranged alphabetically by title.
Book drafts, 1993 – 2007, contain complete proofs of Division of Literature (circa 1997) and Book of Addresses (unknown date) with subtle corrections from Kamuf; jacket copy for Fictions of Feminine Desire; and a complete early draft of To Follow: The Wake of Jacques Derrida. Files are arranged alphabetically by title.
Book reviews by Kamuf, 1977 – 2015, contain original drafts in the fields of feminist theory and Rousseau, among others; Kamuf's reviews often serve as responses to the work of close colleagues, including Geoffrey Bennington, Naomi Schor, and Jean-Luc Nancy. Files are arranged alphabetically by title of the book reviewed.
Book reviews of Kamuf, 1985-1999, contain documents saved by Kamuf regarding her own work. Files are arranged alphabetically by title of the book reviewed.
Chapters in edited books, 1992-2000, contain extensive essay drafts, mostly regarding deconstruction, Derrida, and feminist theory. Files are arranged alphabetically by essay title.
Talks, 1985-2016, center upon Kamuf's scholarship during her tenure at the University of Southern California, speaking at a variety of institutions and colloquiums. Records include typed drafts of her lectures in the form of essays, as well as handwritten notes. Files are arranged alphabetically by title of talk.
Other writings, 1963-2004, range from some of Kamuf's earliest work, including undergraduate papers and her dissertation at Cornell, to assorted drafts (many untitled), proposals, and correspondence. Files are arranged alphabetically by title.
Series V, NOTES, 1988-2005, contains an assortment of extensive handwritten notes (many undated), including recorded remarks, ideas, lists of references. Files are arranged by approximate date.
Series VI, ELECTRONIC RECORDS ON REMOVABLE CARRIERS, consists of one archival shoebox of 3.5 inch disks and 5.25 floppy disks. Items are arranged by the type of carrier and then by title contained on the face of each carrier. Materials include drafts of articles and books, professional correspondence, course material, and research. Electronic records will be reformatted upon request. Researchers wishing to use electronic records should notify the research services staff of the John Hay Library to begin the reformatting process: hay@brown.edu.
All researchers seeking to publish materials from the collections of the John Hay Library are requested to complete a Notice of Intent to Publish, available on the John Hay Library website or by request, prior to reproducing, quoting, or otherwise publishing any portion or extract from this collection. Although Brown University has physical ownership of the collection and the materials contained therein, it does not claim literary rights. It is up to the researcher to determine the owners of the literary rights and to obtain any necessary permissions from them.
Peggy Kamuf papers, MS.2017.014, Feminist Theory Archive, Brown University Library.
The collection is arranged in 6 series.
There are no restrictions on access, except that the collection can only be seen by prior appointment. Some materials may be stored off-site and cannot be produced on the same day on which they are requested.
Gift of Peggy Kamuf in 2017.
The Critical Theory Archive at the University of California, Irvine, holds the papers of Jacques Derrida. Peggy Kamuf donated materials by Derrida found within her papers to that collection: http://www.oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/tf3q2nb26c/.