First introduction to English-reading audiences of the seminal writings of a key Belgian writer and critic. Radically subjective. Radically unapologetic. Radically demanding. These are the hallmarks of Dirk Lauwaert’s skill, attitude, and sensitivity, which are the result of radical attention. Belgian writer and critic Dirk Lauwaert (1944–2013) wrote about images, be they moving or still, historical or contemporary, overfamiliar or unseen. He experienced them intensely, studied them attentively, and connected them to ethical, philosophical, or social issues in texts that invited readers to do the same, whether they were leaving the movie theater, browsing a photo book, or visiting an exhibition. This selection presents the depth and scope of Lauwaert’s immense output through 15 key texts in which the Belgian author unfolds his central ideas and motifs, displaying his kaleidoscopic thinking and essayistic ability. The texts span 25 years – from 1983 to 2008 – and were originally published in various contexts over the course of three decades. Radically subjective. Radically unapologetic. Radically demanding. These are the hallmarks of Dirk Lauwaert’s skill, attitude, and sensitivity, which are the result of radical attention. Belgian writer and critic Dirk Lauwaert (1944–2013) wrote about images, be they moving or still, historical or contemporary, overfamiliar or unseen. He experienced them intensely, studied them attentively, and connected them to ethical, philosophical, or social issues in texts that invited readers to do the same, whether they were leaving the movie theater, browsing a photo book, or visiting an exhibition. This selection presents the depth and scope of Lauwaert’s immense output through 15 key texts in which the Belgian author unfolds his central ideas and motifs, displaying his kaleidoscopic thinking and essayistic ability. The texts span 25 years – from 1983 to 2008 – and were originally published in various contexts over the course of three decades. Note Acknowledgements A Culture of Showing. Firm Elegance in the Writing of Dirk Lauwaert by Herman Asselberghs Notes I Contemporary Sophistry and the Poor Experience Reports from a Classroom Critique of Enthusiasm. Culture, or the Event; The Accompanying Word: Passion II Barthes, the Perfect Bourgeois Portrait of a Role: the Intellectual The Sovereign Dandy The Rhythm of Thinking III Mise-en-Scène: The Most Beautiful Word about Film The Classic Film Body Seam and Pattern: Thinking Forms Dreaming of an Expedition IV Public/Publication/Publishing/Publicity The Blurred Photograph: An Old Debate The Image That Yields Up Everything (Because It Has Seen Nothing) V Moving House Notes