Repetition and Revision: The Plague, ‘St James’ and the Humanities in Times of Crisis

Tony Whyton

doi:10.1386/9781789389869_14

oa Repetition and Revision: The Plague, ‘St James’ and the Humanities in Times of Crisis

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By Tony Whyton¹
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¹ Birmingham City University
Source: Encountering the Plague , pp 214-223
Publication Date: November 2024
DOI: https://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2102/10.1386/9781789389869_14
Language: English

This chapter examines the way in which fictional accounts of plague can tell us much about human experience of a pandemic. Examining the inter-relationship between Albert Camus's 1947 novel The Plague and the blues song ‘St James Infirmary’, the chapter explores the way in these texts meaningfully engage with human emotions and help people deal with encounters with plague. The chapter reiterates the importance of arts and culture in everyday life and examines the new creative ways of thinking about the arts and culture as they illuminate and reflect on the spread and proliferation of viruses.

Keywords: Albert Camus ; Creativity ; Imagination ; Jazz ; Literature ; Music ; Pandemic ; Popular Music History ; The Blues ; Virus

Hardback ISBN: 9781789389869

Paperback ISBN: 9781789389876

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Repetition and Revision: The Plague, ‘St James’ and the Humanities in Times of Crisis

Intellect , 214 (2024); https://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2102/10.1386/9781789389869_14

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References

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Carroll, David (2008), Albert Camus the Algerian: Colonialism, Terrorism, Justice, New York: Columbia University Press.
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Cooke, Jennifer Cooke (2009), Legacies of Plague in Literature, Theory and Film, London: Palgrave MacMillan.
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Foley, John (2008), Albert Camus: From the Absurd to Revolt, New York: Routledge.
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Gates, Henry Louis, Jr. (1988), The Signifying Monkey: A Theory of African-American Literary Criticism, New York: Oxford University Press.
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Harwood, Robert W. (2022), I Went Down to ‘St James Infirmary’, Los Angeles, CA: Genius Music Books.
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Illing, Sean (2020), ‘This is a time for solidarity; What Albert Camus's “The Plague” can teach us about life in a pandemic’, Vox, 15 March, https://www.vox.com/2020/3/13/21172237/coronavirus-covid-19-albert-camus-the-plague. Accessed 20 May 2023.
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Long, Paul (2019), ‘The poetics of recorded time: Listening again to popular music history’, Popular Music History, 12:3, pp. 295–315.
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Meagher, Robert E. (2021), Albert Camus and the Human Crisis, New York & London: Pegasus Books.
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Murray, Albert (1989), Stompin’ the Blues, New York: Da Capo Press.
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Sharpe, Matthew (2020), ‘Guide to the classics: Albert Camus “The Plague”’, The Conversation, 6 April, https://theconversation.com/guide-to-the-classics-albert-camus-the-plague-134244. Accessed 21 May 2023.
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References

Camus, Albert (1989), The Plague (trans. Stuart Gilbert), New York & London: Penguin.
[Google Scholar]
Carroll, David (2008), Albert Camus the Algerian: Colonialism, Terrorism, Justice, New York: Columbia University Press.
[Google Scholar]
Cooke, Jennifer Cooke (2009), Legacies of Plague in Literature, Theory and Film, London: Palgrave MacMillan.
[Google Scholar]
Flood, Alison (2020), ‘Publishers report sales boom in novels about fictional epidemics’, The Guardian, 5 March, https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/mar/05/publishers-report-sales-boom-in-novels-about-fictional-epidemics-camus-the-plague-dean-koontz. Accessed 20 May 2023.
[Google Scholar]
Foley, John (2008), Albert Camus: From the Absurd to Revolt, New York: Routledge.
[Google Scholar]
Gates, Henry Louis, Jr. (1988), The Signifying Monkey: A Theory of African-American Literary Criticism, New York: Oxford University Press.
[Google Scholar]
Harwood, Robert W. (2022), I Went Down to ‘St James Infirmary’, Los Angeles, CA: Genius Music Books.
[Google Scholar]
Illing, Sean (2020), ‘This is a time for solidarity; What Albert Camus's “The Plague” can teach us about life in a pandemic’, Vox, 15 March, https://www.vox.com/2020/3/13/21172237/coronavirus-covid-19-albert-camus-the-plague. Accessed 20 May 2023.
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Jenkinson, Clay S. (2020), ‘Why we should be reading Albert Camus during the pandemic’, Governing, 26 May, https://www.governing.com/context/Why-We-Should-Be-Reading-Albert-Camus-During-the-Pandemic.html. Accessed 20 May 2023.223
[Google Scholar]
Long, Paul (2019), ‘The poetics of recorded time: Listening again to popular music history’, Popular Music History, 12:3, pp. 295–315.
[Google Scholar]
Meagher, Robert E. (2021), Albert Camus and the Human Crisis, New York & London: Pegasus Books.
[Google Scholar]
Murray, Albert (1989), Stompin’ the Blues, New York: Da Capo Press.
[Google Scholar]
Sharpe, Matthew (2020), ‘Guide to the classics: Albert Camus “The Plague”’, The Conversation, 6 April, https://theconversation.com/guide-to-the-classics-albert-camus-the-plague-134244. Accessed 21 May 2023.
[Google Scholar]
Weiser, Peg Brand (ed.) (2023), Camus’ The Plague: Philosophical Perspectives, New York: Oxford University Press.
[Google Scholar]

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[ref-c13bib1] Camus, Albert (1989), The Plague (trans. Stuart Gilbert), New York & London: Penguin.
[Google Scholar]

[ref-c13bib2] Carroll, David (2008), Albert Camus the Algerian: Colonialism, Terrorism, Justice, New York: Columbia University Press.
[Google Scholar]

[ref-c13bib3] Cooke, Jennifer Cooke (2009), Legacies of Plague in Literature, Theory and Film, London: Palgrave MacMillan.
[Google Scholar]

[ref-c13bib4] Flood, Alison (2020), ‘Publishers report sales boom in novels about fictional epidemics’, The Guardian, 5 March, https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/mar/05/publishers-report-sales-boom-in-novels-about-fictional-epidemics-camus-the-plague-dean-koontz. Accessed 20 May 2023.
[Google Scholar]

[ref-c13bib5] Foley, John (2008), Albert Camus: From the Absurd to Revolt, New York: Routledge.
[Google Scholar]

[ref-c13bib6] Gates, Henry Louis, Jr. (1988), The Signifying Monkey: A Theory of African-American Literary Criticism, New York: Oxford University Press.
[Google Scholar]

[ref-c13bib7] Harwood, Robert W. (2022), I Went Down to ‘St James Infirmary’, Los Angeles, CA: Genius Music Books.
[Google Scholar]

[ref-c13bib8] Illing, Sean (2020), ‘This is a time for solidarity; What Albert Camus's “The Plague” can teach us about life in a pandemic’, Vox, 15 March, https://www.vox.com/2020/3/13/21172237/coronavirus-covid-19-albert-camus-the-plague. Accessed 20 May 2023.
[Google Scholar]

[ref-c13bib9] Jenkinson, Clay S. (2020), ‘Why we should be reading Albert Camus during the pandemic’, Governing, 26 May, https://www.governing.com/context/Why-We-Should-Be-Reading-Albert-Camus-During-the-Pandemic.html. Accessed 20 May 2023.223
[Google Scholar]

[ref-c13bib10] Long, Paul (2019), ‘The poetics of recorded time: Listening again to popular music history’, Popular Music History, 12:3, pp. 295–315.
[Google Scholar]

[ref-c13bib11] Meagher, Robert E. (2021), Albert Camus and the Human Crisis, New York & London: Pegasus Books.
[Google Scholar]

[ref-c13bib12] Murray, Albert (1989), Stompin’ the Blues, New York: Da Capo Press.
[Google Scholar]

[ref-c13bib13] Sharpe, Matthew (2020), ‘Guide to the classics: Albert Camus “The Plague”’, The Conversation, 6 April, https://theconversation.com/guide-to-the-classics-albert-camus-the-plague-134244. Accessed 21 May 2023.
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[ref-c13bib14] Weiser, Peg Brand (ed.) (2023), Camus’ The Plague: Philosophical Perspectives, New York: Oxford University Press.
[Google Scholar]

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