LINES OF THE DAY

". . . But the past does not exist independently from the present. Indeed, the past is only past because there is a present, just as I can point to something over there only because I am here. But nothing is inherently over there or here. In that sense, the past has no content. The past -- or more accurately, pastness -- is a position. Thus, in no way can we identify the past as past." p. 15

". . . But we may want to keep in mind that deeds and words are not as distinguishable as often we presume. History does not belong only to its narrators, professional or amateur. While some of us debate what history is or was, others take it into their own hands." p. 153

Silencing the Past: Power and the Production of History (1995) by Michel-Rolph Trouillot

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Vaquero - Photo Credit - New Yorker

A New Yorker roundtable on Haitian music via Sasha Frere-Jones, with:

Ned Sublette
Edwidge Danticat
;
;
;
;
;

here.

8 comments:

Foxessa said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Foxessa said...

The letter-writer's challenge is satisfy beyond doubt the INS official reading the letter that writer knows the person written about intimately, and thus is capable of assessing the 'authenticity' of the marriage.* How creepy that? Your friends are forced to ask you to officially pass judgment on their marriage. Everything about the INS is creepy at best, and criminal at worst.

* This is a wonderful marriage of mutual love, service, support, devotion, shared interests, spiritual beliefs and senses of humor.

Foxessa said...

Bad typo in my first comment. It should have read like this:

Strange serendipity.

This just went up on the NYer site, and I'm writing a letter to the INS testifying that the marriage of my Haitian friend and her Polish-American husband is an authentic marriage.

The INS rejected their previous letters because my friend was referred to by 'government' name, including her husband's last name.

The INS is so hard on Haitians seeking citizenship. Not the way they treat, o say, Cubans.

Love, C.

Frank Partisan said...

I emailed the Bomb article to mtself to read later.

Are you on Facebook?

Foxessa said...

Not on Facebook, no.

Why do you ask?

Foxessa said...

It is still wrong -- their first letters testifying to the authenticity of their marriage were rejected because the letters referred to my friend by her 'friend' name (i.e. the name people who know her well use), and her own last name, instead of her 'government' name and her husband's name.

Please, tell me why that should be grounds for rejection? That letter writers call my friend by the name that her friends call her by should confirm how well the writers know her -- the opposite of what the INS says.

This is deeply disturbing.

Frank Partisan said...

I reluctantly went on Facebook. It would be useful for you, to get readers.

Foxessa said...

Ren -- You say you went reluctantly. So why, then, did you go? There must have been a reason.

How would more readers be useful to me, do you think? Puzzled.

Thank you!

Love, C.