after-afterthought

“You what? This is your ball? Really? I just saw it lying there in the playground. Been having a kick-around. Actually, it’s not really suitable for this game. Bit heavy. Have it back, by all means. There you go.”

I am totally happy to cede the H-word to anyone who feels they have first dibs and a firmer grasp. Still I can’t resist taking nom du père in vain one last time. Many Marxists were upset by Derrida’s filial gesture, their reaction was kinda “heir, today? where were you yesterday?!”. In his afterword to Ghostly Demarcations Jacques responds:

“’Proprietorial’ is a very good word. I would suggest making it still more precise: prioprietorial. For, spelling it that way, one lays claim not only to property, but also to priority, which is even more likely to provoke a smile.”