Deconstruction Texts - Avital Ronell, The Telephone Book: Technology—Schizophrenia—Electric Speech (1989)

We've told you before, but we'll tell you again: The Telephone Book is one wild ride. It's worth a reading for the laughs alone. Seriously, there are zingers on every page—and in different font sizes.

This is Ronell at her playful best. And Derridean theory at its absolute wackiest. Seriously. The text makes Derrida's Glas look tame. Now answer us these Riddles Three:

  1. What elements of Deconstruction can you identify in Ronell's offbeat approach to writing and argumentation?
  2. What are the advantages and disadvantages of writing a book that resists the reader? What is lost and what is gained, for the reader, when a text puts up resistance?
  3. What if everyone just stops reading hard texts? (Answer: we'd cry.)