Francis Ponge's 'Il sapone' Explores Soap as Infinite Subject
Francis Ponge's book 'Il sapone' (The Soap), newly translated into Italian by Michele Zaffarano for Il Saggiatore, treats soap as a pretext—a modest subject that foams infinitely. In 'Méthodes' (Gallimard, 1961), Ponge explains that he commits to a subject only if it challenges him completely, forces him to change his mental disposition, and renews him like a new love. The book opens by lightly summoning the cornerstones on which it is built: how it is made, for whom it is intended, and how it should be received (read and listened to, as it eventually becomes a radio play).
Key facts
- Francis Ponge's 'Il sapone' has been newly translated into Italian by Michele Zaffarano for Il Saggiatore.
- The book treats soap as a pretext and a modest subject that foams infinitely.
- In 'Méthodes' (1961, Gallimard), Ponge states that a subject must challenge him completely and change his mental disposition.
- The book opens by addressing how it is made, for whom it is intended, and how it should be received.
- The work eventually becomes a radio play.
- The translation is by Michele Zaffarano.
- The original French work is by Francis Ponge.
- The book is published by Il Saggiatore.
Entities
Artists
Institutions
- Il Saggiatore
- Gallimard