Dictee

The Introduction begins with a paragraph in French. It is translated into English in the paragraph underneath. The paragraph describes an interaction at a dinner, with every pause, comma, and punctuation mark noted. The paragraph describes an unnamed “She” who, when asked about her “first day,” answers elliptically that someone “[f]rom afar” (1) arrived.

The chapter “Diseuse” describes the same pained attempt to communicate as represented in the Introduction. Gesture, movement, and action are described, but the speaker cannot gather the will to speak. There is a pause, and she nearly speaks but cannot bring herself to do so, and the moment passes. A feeling of pressure builds in her skull, and she contemplates that her speaking is a kind of offering but also a recitation: She does not feel like the words that she uses belong to her. A muse is invoked, and the muse is asked to tell a story. A list of translations from French to English appear in a list, with most of them being commands or requests. The translations are presented like a homework assignment. Another call to a muse appears. The speaker describes attending a Palm Sunday church service. The speaker self-consciously walks down the aisle of the church to receive communion.