The Possibilities of ‘Materiality’ in Writing and Reading History

Abstract

In this article, I investigate the role of a particular kind of ‘materiality’ at work in the writing and reading of history. This involves examining the challenges posed to constructivist approaches to history by various post-linguistic-turn claims about presence and experience as well as by so-called post-narrativism. The core focus will be on outlining an argument for updating ‘narrativist’ or constructivist theory of history to deal with these recent concerns. This requires directing more attention to the relations between author, text, and reader, particularly concerning the key issues of reality, embodiment, and immersion. To demonstrate the value of approaching these relations in terms of ‘materiality,’ I consider three questions aimed at illuminating the balancing act between referentiality and invention performed in history writing as a genre: How can language ‘embody’ reality? How do referential texts encode reality? And, how could we read referential texts specifically with respect to reality?