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

Sunday, January 2, 2011

Da List -- The Books We're Reading, 2010

A few minutes ago we sent out the annual list of what the subscribers (commentary or not was optional) recommend from their reading of the past year. This List feature gets more ever more popular. So many titles came in this year el V decided to send it as a pdf instead of the usual e-mail.

The subscribers are one heck of a reading, analyzing, writing, intelligent, witty, perspicacious bunch of people. I'm in awe of them. But most of all it's thrilling to see in such detail how much they value books for all the many reasons people value reading, writing and learning. Sometimes in this era of glorification of idiots and fools we can lose sight that our population still includes many people who are neither.

Thank you, Listers, for renewing some faith in this country.

el V, tyrant of da List, urged me to contribute something a little different for the Round-up. So I did a short essay on The Virginian and the Western. I've been working out the content for this study over the last few years here on Fox Home. This little piece is the closest I've come, so far, to saying what I want to say about Westerns, since I figured out that the Western is really the 'Neo-Confederate.'

3 comments:

K. said...

I looked over the Andrew Johnson book today and added it to my reading list (it's 4th). I missed V's call for three recommendations from 2010 reading. Here's what they would have been:

The Heart of Power: Health and Politics in the Oval Office, Blumenthal & Morone

Those Terrible Carpetbaggers: A Reinterpretation, Current

Birdsong, Faulks

Foxessa said...

You, dear K, were one of the many Listers in mind when I wrote of the subscribers:

"The subscribers are one heck of a reading, analyzing, writing, intelligent, witty, perspicacious bunch of people."

Thank you so much then for you being that!

Love, C.

Foxessa said...

Also, both V and I are champing to read the author of Impeachment's new book on Burr's western adventure.

Love, c.