Niall Lucy (11 November 1956 - 5 June 2014) was an Australian writer and scholar best known for his work in

deconstruction The term deconstruction refers to approaches to understanding the relationship between text and meaning. It was introduced by the philosopher Jacques Derrida, who defined it as a turn away from Platonism's ideas of "true" forms and essen ...

Career

Niall Lucy served as a professor in the School of Media, Culture & Creative Arts at

Curtin University Curtin University, formerly known as Curtin University of Technology and Western Australian Institute of Technology (WAIT), is an Australian public research university based in Bentley, Perth, Western Australia. It is named after John Curtin, ...

, and a former Head of the School of Arts (1998–2003) at

Murdoch University Murdoch University is a public university in Perth, Western Australia, with campuses also in Singapore and Dubai. It began operations as the state's second university on 25 July 1973, and accepted its first undergraduate students in 1975. Its n ...

. In 1997, he was a visiting scholar in the School of English, Communication and Philosophy at the

University of Wales, Cardiff , latin_name = , image_name = Shield of the University of Cardiff.svg , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms of Cardiff University , motto = cy, Gwirionedd, Undod a Chytgord , mottoeng = Truth, Unity and Concord , established = 1 ...

. He worked mainly in the fields of deconstruction,

literary theory Literary theory is the systematic study of the nature of literature and of the methods for literary analysis. Culler 1997, p.1 Since the 19th century, literary scholarship includes literary theory and considerations of intellectual history, mor ...

and

cultural criticism Culture () is an umbrella term which encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, customs, capabilities, and habits of the individuals in these groups.T ...

. His latter work (much of it collaborative) brought a deconstructive approach to contemporary Australian events and figures. Niall Lucy was one of the original grantees for the Australian Research Grant exploring "Why is there no Noongar Wikipedia". There being no direct or near translation of the english-language computer term ''User'', the community decided that contributors would be identified as “Niall”, honoring his life's work of sharing knowledge.

Education

Lucy gained a BA and MA (English) from the

University of Western Australia The University of Western Australia (UWA) is a public research university in the Australian state of Western Australia. The university's main campus is in Perth, the state capital, with a secondary campus in Albany and various other facilitie ...

, and a PhD (English) from

the University of Sydney The University of Sydney (USYD), also known as Sydney University, or informally Sydney Uni, is a public research university located in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and is one of the country's six ...

Works

In ''Postmodern Literary Theory: An Introduction'' (1997), Lucy identifies

postmodernism Postmodernism is an intellectual stance or mode of discourseNuyen, A.T., 1992. The Role of Rhetorical Devices in Postmodernist Discourse. Philosophy & Rhetoric, pp.183–194. characterized by skepticism toward the " grand narratives" of modern ...

as a continuation (albeit not by conscious or deliberate means) of

romanticism Romanticism (also known as the Romantic movement or Romantic era) was an artistic, literary, musical, and intellectual movement that originated in Europe towards the end of the 18th century, and in most areas was at its peak in the approximate ...

, especially in the form of ideas associated with the

Jena romantics Jena Romanticism (german: Jenaer Romantik; also the Jena Romantics or Early Romanticism (''Frühromantik'')) is the first phase of Romanticism in German literature represented by the work of a group centred in Jena from about 1798 to 1804. The move ...

in Germany in the late-18th and early-19th centuries. His discussion is influenced by the work of French philosophers

Philippe Lacoue-Labarthe Philippe Lacoue-Labarthe ( , ; 6 March 1940 – 28 January 2007) was a French philosopher. He was also a literary critic and translator. Lacoue-Labarthe published several influential works with his friend Jean-Luc Nancy. Lacoue-Labarthe was ...

and

Jean-Luc Nancy Jean-Luc Nancy ( , ; 26 July 1940 – 23 August 2021) was a French philosopher. Nancy's first book, published in 1973, was ''Le titre de la lettre'' (''The Title of the Letter'', 1992), a reading of the work of French psychoanalyst Jacques Laca ...

. Lucy argues that postmodernism should be distinguished from

poststructuralism Post-structuralism is a term for philosophical and literary forms of theory that both build upon and reject ideas established by structuralism, the intellectual project that preceded it. Though post-structuralists all present different critique ...

, and especially from deconstruction as associated with the work of

Jacques Derrida Jacques Derrida (; ; born Jackie Élie Derrida; See also . 15 July 1930 – 9 October 2004) was an Algerian-born French philosopher. He developed the philosophy of deconstruction, which he utilized in numerous texts, and which was developed th ...

. Lucy's work is notable for its sense of humour, and for taking popular culture no less seriously than philosophy. The increasing tendency in his later work towards a philosophical engagement with contemporary events is strongly informed by Derrida's '' Specters of Marx'' and the idea of democracy-to-come, which is the linchpin of Lucy's account of the importance of deconstruction in ''A Derrida Dictionary'' (2004). Much of Lucy's recent work has been collaborative, and directly concerned with contemporary Australian cultural events and figures. His book with Steve Mickler, ''The War on Democracy: Conservative Opinion in the Australian Press'' (2006), pits a Derridean concept of democracy against what the authors argue are the undemocratic interests represented in the work of several prominent Australian media commentators (whom they refer to collectively as “Team Australia”), including Miranda Devine, Gerard Henderson,

Janet Albrechtsen Janet Kim Albrechtsen (born 23 September 1966) is an Australian opinion columnist with ''The Australian.'' From 2005 until 2010, she was a member of the board of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Australia's public broadcaster. Early lif ...

and

Andrew Bolt Andrew Bolt (born 26 September 1959) is an Australian right-wing social and political commentator. He has worked at the News Corp-owned newspaper company The Herald and Weekly Times (HWT) for many years, for both '' The Herald'' and its succ ...

. The book was shortlisted for the Gleebooks Prize in Literary and Cultural Criticism at the 2008

New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards The New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards, also known as the NSW Premier's Literary Awards, were first awarded in 1979. They are among the richest literary awards in Australia. Notable prizes include the Christina Stead Prize for Fiction, t ...

. Among other recent works, Lucy's co-edited collection (with Chris Coughran), ''Vagabond Holes'' (2009), is a tribute to his late friend,

David McComb David Richard McComb (17 February 19622 February 1999) was an Australian musician. He was the singer-songwriter and guitarist of the Australian bands, The Triffids (1976–89) and The Blackeyed Susans (1989–93). He also had a solo career incl ...

, lead singer and songwriter for Australian rock band

The Triffids The Triffids were an Australian alternative rock and pop band, formed in Perth in Western Australia in May 1978 with David McComb as singer-songwriter, guitarist, bass guitarist and keyboardist.McFarlane (1999). Encyclopedia entry fo"The Triff ...

, which defies the conventions of a rock biography in its deconstruction of the notion of an autonomous self or identity. Contributors include

Nick Cave Nicholas Edward Cave (born 22 September 1957) is an Australian singer, songwriter, poet, lyricist, author, screenwriter, composer and occasional actor. Known for his baritone voice and for fronting the rock band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, ...

Mick Harvey Michael John Harvey (born 29 August 1958) is an Australian musician, singer-songwriter, composer, arranger and record producer. A multi-instrumentalist, he is best known for his long-term collaborations with Nick Cave, with whom he formed The ...

, John Kinsella,

DBC Pierre Peter Warren Finlay (born in 1961), also known as DBC Pierre, is an Australian author who wrote the novel '' Vernon God Little''. Pierre was born in South Australia, and largely raised in Mexico. He has resided in the Republic of Ireland and ...

, and Lucy's own sister, Judith. His book, ''Pomo Oz: Fear and Loathing Downunder'' (2010), engages with (among other issues) debates surrounding secondary-school English teaching in Australia, while taking a deconstructive slant on the

Bill Henson Bill Henson (born 7 October 1955) is an Australian contemporary art photographer. Art Henson has exhibited nationally and internationally in galleries such as the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York, the Venice Biennale, the National Gal ...

scandal, the Children Overboard Affair and

The Chaser The Chaser are an Australian satirical comedy group, best known for their television programmes and satirical news masthead. The group take their name from their satirical newspaper, a publication known to challenge conventions of taste. Th ...

's prank motorcade at the 2007 APEC Australia summit in Sydney. A significant section of the book is devoted to a discussion of John Kinsella's poetry in relation to deconstruction, with reference to Kinsella's friendship with Derrida. Ranging across diverse topics, and working in multiple styles, the book offers a further elaboration of Lucy's work on democracy-to-come. His final book, ''A Dictionary of Postmodernism'', was published posthumously by Wiley-Blackwell in 2015. The book, edited by

John Hartley (academic) John Hartley (born 1948), , FAHA, , ICA Fellow, is an Australian academic. He was formerly Professor of Cultural Science and the Director of the Centre for Culture and Technology (CCAT) at Curtin University in Western Australia, and Professor ...

, was completed by Lucy's friends and colleagues Robert Briggs,

Claire Colebrook Claire Colebrook (or Claire Mary Colebrook) (born 25 October 1965), is an Australian cultural theorist, currently appointed Edwin Erle Sparks Professor of English at Pennsylvania State University.

, John Hartley, Tony Thwaites, Darren Tofts, and

McKenzie Wark McKenzie Wark (born 1961) is an Australian-born writer and scholar. Wark is known for her writings on media theory, critical theory, new media, and the Situationist International. Her best known works are '' A Hacker Manifesto'' and '' Gamer T ...

Critical reception

Lucy has been lauded internationally for his work in deconstruction. His ''Debating Derrida'' is described by

Peggy Kamuf Peggy Kamuf (born 1947) is the Marion Frances Chevalier Professor of French and Comparative Literature at the University of Southern California. She is one of the primary English translators of the works of Jacques Derrida. She received the America ...

as "an excellent guide" and by Juliana De Nooy as “lucid and pedagogical”. Writing for ''

The Times Literary Supplement ''The Times Literary Supplement'' (''TLS'') is a weekly literary review published in London by News UK, a subsidiary of News Corp. History The ''TLS'' first appeared in 1902 as a supplement to ''The Times'' but became a separate publication ...

'', Anthony Elliot says of ''A Derrida Dictionary'' that it "ranges with considerable flair from

Hegel Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (; ; 27 August 1770 – 14 November 1831) was a German philosopher. He is one of the most important figures in German idealism and one of the founding figures of modern Western philosophy. His influence extends a ...

Geri Halliwell Geraldine Estelle Horner (née Halliwell; born 6 August 1972) is an English singer, songwriter, author, and actress. She rose to prominence in the 1990s as Ginger Spice, a member of the girl group the Spice Girls. With over 100 million records ...

, fascism to

Francis Fukuyama Francis Yoshihiro Fukuyama (; born October 27, 1952) is an American political scientist, political economist, international relations scholar and writer. Fukuyama is known for his book ''The End of History and the Last Man'' (1992), which argue ...

, the philosophy of consciousness to celebrity". "It 'A Derrida Dictionary''is the kind of book whose wit makes one want to read excerpts to colleagues, and it is precisely this lightness of tone that makes Lucy's book so pedagogically useful", a reviewer writes in ''Choice''.

commends ''Postmodern Literary Theory: An Introduction'' as “a critical account of the difference between postmodernism and poststructuralism”. Lucy's work is widely cited across many disciplines and in several languages. Among those who refer to his work are John D. Caputo John Hartley, Peggy Kamuf, Keith Jenkins, and

. The critical reception in Australia to his book with Steve Mickler, ''The War on Democracy'', has been divided. Kitty van Vuuren, writing in ''Media International Australia'', says she was “unable to put the book down” and found it to be “lively, sardonic and entertaining”. In ' ''Overland'', Georgina Murray claims the book was "crying out to be written". By contrast, one of the figures whose work is critiqued in ''The War on Democracy'', education journalist Luke Slattery, describes the book as "blood sport" and decries Lucy as "a parish priest in the much-diminished postmodern church". Another figure of critique in the book, columnist

Christopher Pearson Chris or Christopher Pearson may refer to: * Chris Pearson (boxer) (born 1990), American boxer * Chris Pearson (politician) (1931–2014), first premier of the Yukon * Christopher Pearson (Vermont politician) (born 1973), Vermont state legislato ...

, condemns what he calls the book's "unusually vicious polemic".

Other writing

Lucy wrote liner notes for the re-issue of The Triffids album '' Calenture'' (2007) and for the retrospective collection, ''Crossing Off the Miles'', by Australian rock band Chad's Tree.

Media

Lucy wrote freelance music journalism in the 1980s for ''On the Street'' (Sydney), ''5 O'Clock News'' (Perth) and other publications. He was a regular music broadcaster on 6UVS-FM (now RTR-FM) in Perth and

2SER 2SER is a community radio station in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, broadcasting on the frequency 107.3 FM and is a member of the Community Broadcasting Association of Australia. The station is largely self-supporting, relying upon revenue ...

-FM in Sydney. He occasionally wrote for ''

The West Australian ''The West Australian'' is the only locally edited daily newspaper published in Perth, Western Australia. It is owned by Seven West Media (SWM), as is the state's other major newspaper, '' The Sunday Times''. It is the second-oldest continuous ...

'' and '' On Line Opinion'', and hosted the weekly music show ''The Comfort Zone'' on 720 ABC Perth. Lucy was interviewed for the documentary about

and

, ''Love in Bright Landscapes'', directed by Jonathan Alley.

Affiliations

Lucy served as a member of the consultancy board of '' Derrida Today'' and a member of the editorial board of ''Fibreculture Journal''. He was a member of the Curriculum Council of Western Australia's Literature Reference Panel. He was the founding co-director of

The Centre for Culture and Technology (CCAT) ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

br>

Personal life

Lucy lived in

Fremantle, Western Australia Fremantle () () is a port city in Western Australia, located at the mouth of the Swan River in the metropolitan area of Perth, the state capital. Fremantle Harbour serves as the port of Perth. The Western Australian vernacular diminutive fo ...

, with his children Dylan, Hannah and Jakeb. He was married to Samantha Lucy-Stevenson. He was the brother of professional comedian

Judith Lucy Judith Mary Lucy (born 25 March 1968) is an Australian comedian and actress, known primarily for her stand-up comedy. Lucy joined the team of the ABC's '' The Weekly with Charlie Pickering'' in 2019. Early life Lucy's adoptive parents emigr ...

. Lucy was a committed member and supporter of the

Fremantle Football Club The Fremantle Football Club, nicknamed the Dockers, is a professional Australian rules football club competing in the Australian Football League (AFL), the sport's elite competition. The team was founded in 1994 to represent the port city of Fr ...

Death

Niall Lucy died at his home in Fremantle in June 2014, aged 57, 11 months after being diagnosed with cancer. There have been many tributes in response to Lucy's death throughout the international scholarly community. Poet John Kinsella wrote the official obituary, 'Vale Free-Flowing Niall', published in

. The international journal '' Derrida Today'' dedicated its 2014 issue ''"In memoriam"'' to Niall Lucy, who had previously been on their editorial board. The international, peer-reviewed journal that Lucy founded and co-edited, ''Ctrl-Z: New Media Philosophy'', included the tribute piec
"Who will have come to have read this? - In memory of Niall Lucy (1956-2014
", written by his co-editor Dr. Robert Briggs. Briggs' piece appears in the last issue of the journal Lucy edited. Prior to Lucy's death, he had contributed a chapter on 'Politics' to a forthcoming book on

edited by

, ''Jacques Derrida: Key Concepts'' (Routledge, 2015); Colebrook dedicated the completed book to his memory. The 2015 edition of ''Vlak Magazine'', edited by Prague-scholar

Louis Armand Louis François Armand (17 January 1905 – 30 August 1971) was a French engineer and senior civil servant who managed several public companies, as well as had a significant role in World War II as an officer in the Resistance. He became the f ...

, also includes contributions in Lucy's memory by Armand, Kinsella and Swinburne academic Darren Tofts. Lucy was presented with a posthumous Certificate of Recognition by the

School Curriculum and Standards Authority The School Curriculum and Standards Authority is the statutory authority A statutory body or statutory authority is a body set up by law (statute) that is authorised to implement certain legislation on behalf of the relevant country or sta ...

for his contributions across 20 years to the English and Literature course and examination materials in Western Australia. In December 2014, a concert celebrating Lucy's life was also held with guest Australian musicians, including

Martyn P. Casey Martyn Paul Casey (born 10 July 1960) is an English-born Australian rock bass guitarist. He has been a member of the Triffids, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and Grinderman. Casey plays either his Fender Precision Bass or Fender Jazz Bass. Biogra ...

(

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds are an Australian rock band formed in 1983 by vocalist Nick Cave, multi-instrumentalist Mick Harvey and guitarist-vocalist Blixa Bargeld. The band has featured international personnel throughout its career and pre ...

Grinderman Grinderman was an Australian-American rock band that formed in London, England, in 2006. The band included Nick Cave (vocals, guitar, organ, piano), Warren Ellis (tenor guitar, electric mandolin, violin, viola, guitar, backing vocals), Martyn ...

);

Jill Birt Jillian Margaret Birt is an Australian rock musician and architect. Birt was the keyboardist and vocalist of the alternative rock and pop band, The Triffids from 1983 to 1989. In 2008, The Triffids were inducted into the Australian Recording I ...

Alsy MacDonald Alan MacDonald (born 14 August 1961) is an Australian musician and lawyer, best known as the drummer of the 1980s band The Triffids, where he performed under his nickname 'Alsy'. He was born on 14 August 1961 to Prof. Bill MacDonald, a professo ...

and Rob McComb (

);

James Baker James Addison Baker III (born April 28, 1930) is an American attorney, diplomat and statesman. A member of the Republican Party, he served as the 10th White House Chief of Staff and 67th United States Secretary of the Treasury under President ...

(

The Scientists The Scientists is a post-punk band from Perth, Western Australia, led by Kim Salmon, initially known as the Exterminators and then the Invaders. The band had two primary incarnations: the Perth-based punk band of the late 1970s and the Sydne ...

Beasts of Bourbon Beasts of Bourbon were an Australian blues rock band formed in August 1983, with James Baker on drums (ex-Hoodoo Gurus, The Scientists), Spencer P. Jones on guitar (The Johnnys), Tex Perkins on vocals (Dum Dums), Kim Salmon on guitar and Boris ...

Le Hoodoo Gurus Hoodoo Gurus are an Australian rock band formed in Sydney in 1981, by the mainstay Dave Faulkner (songwriter, lead singer and guitarist) and later joined by Richard Grossman (bass), Mark Kingsmill (drums), and Brad Shepherd (guitar, vocals, ...

); and Richard Lane (

The Stems The Stems are a garage punk band formed in Perth, Western Australia in late 1983. They were founded by Dom Mariani in late 1983. The Stems are heavily influenced by 1960s garage rock and 1970s power pop. The band initially broke up in August 1 ...

); amongst many others. Niall's sister

dedicated her critically acclaimed television show, ''Judith Lucy Is All Woman'', to her brother's memory. Her 2015

Helpmann Award The Helpmann Awards are accolades for live entertainment and performing arts in Australia, presented by industry group Live Live Performance Australia (LPA) since 2001. The annual awards recognise achievements in the disciplines of musical th ...

winning comedy show, ''Ask No Questions of the Moth,'' also discusses how she dealt with the impact of her brother's death. The Chad's Tree song 'The Flood Johanna', which appears on

The Blackeyed Susans ''For the American band with a similar name, see Blackeyed Susan.'' The Blackeyed Susans are an Australian rock band, which formed in Perth in 1989. Long serving members are Phil Kakulas on bass guitar, guitar and vocals; and Rob Snarski on vo ...

's Robert Snarski's 2015 solo album, ''Low Fidelity: Songs by Request Volume 1'', is dedicated to Niall Lucy; Niall's wife, Sam; and his sister, Judith. The 2017 novel ‘’Sanctuary’’, by Australian writer and actor

Judy Nunn Judith Anne Nunn ( AM) (born 1945 in Perth, Western Australia), (also published under the pen name of Judy Bernard-Waite), is an Australian fiction author, former theatre and television actress and radio and television screenwriter. Nunn was a ...

, is also dedicated to his memory. At the time of his death, Lucy was Professor of Critical Theory at

. In 2015, Curtin University announced The Niall Lucy Award, commemorating the anniversary of Niall's death. The inaugural winner of the $5,000 award was Dr. Matthew Chrulew, from The Centre of Culture and Technology (CCAT). Chrulew won the award for his work on philosophical ethology,

posthumanism Posthumanism or post-humanism (meaning "after humanism" or "beyond humanism") is an idea in continental philosophy and critical theory responding to the presence of anthropocentrism in 21st century thought. It encompasses a wide variety of br ...

, and French scholar Dominique Lestel.

Publications

*''A Dictionary of Postmodernism'' (Wiley-Blackwell, 2015). *''Setting Up the Tent Embassy: A Report on Perth Media'' by Thor Kerr and Shapan Cox (Crtl-Z Press, 2013), co-edited with Robert Briggs and Steve Mickler. *''The Ballad of Moondyne Joe'' (Fremantle Press, 2012), with John Kinsella. *''Pomo Oz: Fear and Loathing Downunder'' (Fremantle Press, 2010). *''Activist Poetics: Anarchy in the Avon Valley'', by John Kinsella (Liverpool University Press (2010), editor. *''Vagabond Holes: David McComb and The Triffids'' (Fremantle Press, 2009), co-edited with Chris Coughran. *''Beautiful Waste: Poems by David McComb'' (Fremantle Press, 2009), co-edited with Chris Coughran. *''Plagiarism! (From Work to Détournement)'', special issue of ''Angelaki: Journal of the Theoretical Humanities'' (Routledge, 2009), co-edited with John Kinsella. *''The War on Democracy: Conservative Opinion in the Australian Press'' (University of Western Australia Press, 2006), with Steve Mickler. *''A Derrida Dictionary'' (Wiley-Blackwell, 2004). *''Beyond Semiotics: Text, Culture and Technology'' (Continuum, 2001). *''Postmodern Literary Theory: An Anthology'' (Wiley-Blackwell, 2000), editor. *''Philosophy and Cultural Studies'', special issue of ''Continuum: Journal of Media and Culture'' (1998), editor. *''Postmodern Literary Theory: An Introduction'' (Wiley-Blackwell, 1997). *''Debating Derrida'' (Melbourne University Press, 1995).

References

External links

Profile
at Curtin University's website
Niall Lucy HomepageNiall Lucy and Chris Coughran interviewed by Kiri FallsNiall Lucy and Chris Coughran interviewed by Patrick Pittman on RTR-FMNiall Lucy and Chris Coughran interviewed on Foxtel
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lucy, Niall 1956 births 2014 deaths Australian writers Postmodernists Deconstruction Curtin University faculty