Foucault, M. (1990). What is an Author. In H. Adams & L. Searle (Eds.), Critical Theory Since 1965 (pp. 138-148). Gainsville, FL: University Presses of Florida.

An essay from 1969 in which Foucault attempts to address the question of "What is an Author" in response to criticisms of an earlier work, Order of Things. A difference between the name of a writer and the function of an author is explained. An author is something more than a proper name associated with but outside of a discourse. The function of an author exists in concert with a collection of discourses: "In this sense the function of an author is to characterize the existence, circulation and operation of certain discourses within a society." In many cases the author function can exist completely separate from the speaker or writer.