On Waiting

What is the relationship between waiting and time? Is there an ethics of waiting, or even an art of waiting? Do the internet, online shopping and text messaging mean that waiting has come to an end? On Waiting explores such and similar questions in compelling fashion. Drawing on some fascinating examples, from the philosopher Henri Bergson's musings on a lump of sugar to Kate Croy waiting in Wings of the Dove to the writings of Rilke, Bishop, and Carver, it examines this ever-present yet overlooked phenomenon from diverse angles in fascinating style.

1. A Brief Theory of Waiting: Henri Bergson's Piece of Sugar 2. An Un-Aesthetics of Waiting: Gaston Bachelard's Instant 3. Waiting in the Shadow of Words: Penelope's Loom 4. Lingering: Elizabeth Bishop's Poem 5. Waiting for Death: Ferdinand Hodler's Paintings of His Dying Mistress 6. Hoping: Raymond Carver's A Small, Good Thing 7. Waiting