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

Thursday, July 9, 2009

Treason's Shore and History

Yay, yay, yay! The lovely FedEx fellow just delivered Sherwood Smith's latest, the concluding volume of the Inda series, Treason's Shore. I can't wait to read it! It's brilliant that my friends write such good books.

In the meantime anyone interested in history should check out today's salondotcom article by Laura Miller on the investigation, writing and reading of history, built around Canadian professor, Margaret MacMillan's Dangerous Games: The Uses and Abuses of History.

In the meantime, birthdays and anniversaries and plans around our own end-of-summer & fall publication are needing to be made and schedules and itineraries put together. Tonight's a symposium on the Honduran coup (no South American coup in 16 years, which seems from my pov to reflect that preoccupation of the usual suspects with the Middle East, rather than some other causes cited by rightwingers), and a meet-up with another writer, whose latest book (non-fiction) has been picked up by Hollywood.

All better than a kick in the head, though! Much better, particularly since that's all we'd been getting for the last few months it seems, kicks in the head.

We did have a particularly cool Vaquero's Birthday yesterday, btw. A Brasilian film about Brasilian music filled with friends, the Esnor show at MOMA, a spectacular Korean lunch -- very LATE lunch -- then a party thrown by lesbian artist friends, and then taken out to dinner. A long day and late night, and every bit of it to Vaquero's tastes. He had such a wonderful time.

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