Kevin McIlvoy: The “Something There” Sensation – Learning from the Work of Anaïs Nin (July 2005)

In this lecture, Kevin McIlvoy explores the work of Anaïs Nin, focusing on how she writes about the body. Arguing that Nin elevates physical aliveness over intellectual awareness, McIlvoy explores the ways her characters inhabit the present moment and the ways her writing emphasizes feeling and embodiment. Through close readings of a range of Nin’s writing, McIlvoy suggests that her work offers a useful counterbalance to the theoretical preoccupations of much contemporary fiction.