Classical reception studies having blossomed in this century, it is no surprise that a book of modern, literary, responses to Sophocles’ Antigone has been produced. That four of the five authors are women comes as no surprise either, since Antigone's stance has usually been considered as much a feminist as an ethical protest.
This collection consists of poetry, one dramaturgical response to the original play and two fine and thought-provoking short stories. To be frank, the poetry, by Valerie Bloom, Inua Ellams and Barbara Bleiman, is of varying quality, although Bleiman's concept of an epistolary response from Antigone to later teenage female protesters (‘dear girls of the future’) is a striking and successful one, I think.
The play, The Facility, by Sarah Hehir, transfers the Greek story to a modern prison and, while it takes some liberties with original characters, harbours a powerful, visceral originality; relatively simple language is underlaid by a constant rhythmic force and unobtrusive rhyming. The book as a whole sets out to provoke response in its readers, especially those encountering the Antigone story or Greek drama for the first time; to that end, this play will be very successful.
Both stories are engaging and, like the drama, stay long in one's memory. Bleiman's own story, Being Antigone, involves a troubled teenage girl; she finds her voice in a performance of the Greek play, despite a difficult family background, thanks in part to a caring teacher. We are nudged to see the protagonist, Alicia, as Antigone throughout (she has a sister called Izzy). The story is packed with subtle touches and has one or two surprising turns.
The second story, I Heard One Cry in the Night, is a real tour de force from Phoebe Roy; its use of the Sophoclean start-point is original, enigmatic and genuinely surprising. Any précis of the story here will ruin that surprise (although the title supplies a clue), but it is beautifully and knowingly written, is full of ancient and modern nuance and is given pace by division according to ancient Theban months!
Each contribution is followed by a reflection from its author, which might answer some students’ questions. There is a brief synopsis of the background and of the Sophoclean play. There are also two Introductions, one for teachers and one for students. The only part which does not work are the monochrome photos from a workshop on The Facility at Rochester Grammar School; they show and add nothing, I'm afraid, of value.
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