Sontag at the BNF

The controversy about press coverage of Susan Sontag aside, the lionization continues in France (see my post Susan Sontag, the Iron Lady of New York, from December 30, 2004). According to a little report (La Bibliothèque Nationale de France rend hommage à Susan Sontag, January 4) from Bella Ciao, the Bibliothèque Nationale de France, in Paris, has opened a little exhibit in honor of Sontag, on the Haut-de-jardin level at the Tolbiac building. Until January 30, readers can peruse a few of Sontag's books and other writings, drawn from the Department of Literature and Art. She shares this honor with Gérard de Nerval, who died 150 years ago this year (mentioned in my list of cultural anniversaries in 2005). When they do this sort of exhibit, the library draws up a complete bibliography: you can download the one for de Nerval.

I also mentioned the reports in Libération to the effect that she would be buried in Paris. A more recent article by Michel Guerrin (Lire et comprendre les images du tsunami, January 6) in Le Monde says only that Sontag "a voulu être enterrée à Paris" (wanted to be buried in Paris). I'm keeping my eyes open to see what happens.