The Interval Between Writing and Photography

Capturing the Fleeting in Annie Ernaux and Sophie Calle

Abstract

Drawing on the concept of the “interval” formulated by Anne-Marie Christin, this article analyzes two works constructed through the dialogue between text and photography: The Use of Photography, by Annie Ernaux and Marc Marie, and True Stories, by Sophie Calle. It seeks to demonstrate how the convergence of these two media produces effects of tension and friction, moving away from a relationship of complementarity. When placed side by side, word and photograph mutually transform one another, opening up space for processes of meaning-making and recomposition. Finally, it is argued that the relationship between writing and image takes place in the interval and in the gaps that separate them, where latent images emerge.