Then Came a Stranger

Oral History: From its roots in the New York art and theory scene of the 1970s to its transformative impact on global intellectual discourse, Semiotext(e) continues to defy boundaries, bridging avant-garde literature, radical philosophy and underground culture

- with François Cusset, Hedi El Kholti, Veronica Gonzalez Peña, Bruce Hainley, Wayne Koestenbaum, Chris Kraus, Lauren Mackler, Eileen Myles, Christine Pichini, Lynne Tillman, McKenzie Wark and Noura Wedell

The press continues to be forged by community.

Chris Kraus

In the introduction to Hatred of Capitalism (2002) a collection of Semiotext(e)'s foremost writings - editor Sylvère Lotringer remarked that, when he launched the press in 1974, Western society was 'in the last gasp of Marxism' - a final surge of radical thought amidst the waning tides of revolutionary fervour. This oral history delves into the press's past 30 years, focusing on its transformative journey through the early 2000s and its migration to Los Angeles, yet never losing sight of its roots as an experimental journal and imprint championing French theory and post-Marxist ideology. Through the voices of key figures, we explore how Semiotext(e) evolved from a provocative outpost for intellectual rebellion to a cornerstone of contemporary radical thought.- Terence Trouillot

CHRIS KRAUS By the time we were compiling Hatred of Capitalism, Sylvère and I were not living together anymore I was in LA; he was in New York - but we'd still spend time together. We both were really burnt out on the idea of critical introductions and one of his premises for the 'Foreign Agents' series [1983-ongoing] was that it would be 'theory brut' without any critical introductions to any of the books.

So, it was in that spirit that we did the introduction to h: Hatred of Capitalism lying in bed together, talking about our dreams. On one level, it was a joke but, on another, it wasn't, because that's how the whole Semiotext(e) publishing project emerged from personal, deep, latenight conversations. It's become different throughout the years, but I think the press continues to be forged by community.