derrida

apparently jacques derrida died this weekend. i'm kind of upset that i didn't see this really mentioned online anywhere (except bookslut, of course), whereas every blog or website i read last night or today talked about christopher reeve's death (which is also very sad). i mean, derrida is a huge name! how is his death not newsworthy?!

i saw him speak at sbl/aar a couple years ago--when did i go? november 2002?--and i liked him a lot more than i expected to--i really struggled with his stuff in college, at first, and didn't think his speech would be intelligible at all. and yet it was. he was such a sweet, charming old man, full of lovely little anecdotes about his french/jewish upbringing. his keynote speech was actually the highlight of the weekend for me, even beating out that masterpiece of cinema, jesus christ, vampire hunter.