Re: [NetBehaviour] query about politics - stories from exile

[Johannes Birringer]

thank you Alan, and Edward,

I was not sure whether a small turn to fiction might help (to carry on from 
Michael, who gave us a hard hitting and activist reply, which I understand
but i don't share the optimism of, perhaps, nor would I know what Adorno 
criticized in other's thinking) - - 

I found the short story from Di Benedetto's 'Stories from Exile' illuminating 
and evocative, as a historically bent/contorted fable, that in a sense also 
commented, for me, on English ( and US) colonialist politics and also maverick 
activism, perhaps.
Yet the time of mavericks that create real rain (change) is not this time.  We 
are left, I fear, with tears.
Mar chiquita. 

regards
Johannes


From: NetBehaviour [netbehaviour-boun...@lists.netbehaviour.org] on behalf of 
Alan Sondheim [sondh...@panix.com]
Sent: 04 May 2018 21:57
To: NetBehaviour for networked distributed creativity
Subject: Re: [NetBehaviour] query about politics - stories from exile

This is fascinating to me; I've been in a swarm of locusts avoiding a
wildfire in Utah. I was one or two or many with the locusts.
And Garrick? For some reason I've felt strangely haunted by him. And by
Rachel for example, and definitely Bernhardt, these figures who have left
almost no trace (there are some very late recordings of Bernhardt's voice
which is astonishing), who cast shadows that haunt the imaginary of the
theater, or theater's doubles -

- Alan

On Thu, 3 May 2018, Johannes Birringer wrote:

> (may I respond to Michael and Alan's posts again?)
>
>
> In the story ?Orthopterans,? from the collection Stories from Exile
> (1983), waiting becomes a form of patience about meaning or choosing, a
> matter of not rushing to choose the version of the past that you wish to
> have as a prelude to your present.
>
> 'Not even Borges', we are told, 'can be expected to cleave to a strict
> chronological order.' Or to a single tale when various good ones are on
> offer.
>
> A plague of locusts in the pampas causes serious lateness in the
> ordinarily very punctual, English-run rail service from Buenos Aires to
> Mendoza. How did the locusts get there? A person called ?the professor?
> brought them to pollinate the flowers, but they just multiplied instead.
> When was this? ?Who can say?? the local informant replies. ?Could be ?
> when the Indians camped out in these parts, or even before.?
>
> In that case the professor was perhaps a witch doctor. Myths have a
> flexible sense of time. In any event the man wanted to make amends for
> his mistake, and promised to bring water to the largely non-arable land.
> His method was unusual. He reappeared with a figure whom ?the population
> couldn't help but see ? as a magician who would make it rain more than
> before.?
>
> They were wrong, but on the right track.
>
> The man was an English actor. Learning this the locals hoped he was a
> comic actor ? if he couldn?t produce water at least he could make them
> laugh.  The man ? his name was Garrick, so he was either the famous
> thespian himself or a helpful alternative avatar ? said his acting was
> ?comic and otherwise?  and proceeded to entertain his audience ?with
> stories, gags, wit, impersonation, much brilliance, and occasional
> grimaces, but tactful ones, without any sort of exaggeration.?
>
> The people laughed until they cried, their tears forming a river, ?and
> in that way, through the magic of joyous tears, lakes, lagoons and other
> deposits which, if they are large enough, are given the name of mar
> chiquita, spread across the vastness of Spanish America.?
>
> Mar chiquita means ?tiny sea.?  Orthoptera is the order of insects to
> which locusts belong. What do they have to do with Garrick?s act?  The
> narrator?s opening line is an answer of a kind: ?I?ll tell it the way
> they told it to me.?
>
>
>
> (from Antonio Di Benedetto's Stories from Exile)
>
>
> regards
> Johannes
>
>
> 
> From: NetBehaviour [netbehaviour-boun...@lists.netbehaviour.org] on behalf of 
> Michael Szpakowski [m...@michaelszpakowski.org]
>
> Hi Alan
> What is really significant about all this, though, is that this shocking 
> racism has cost the Home Secretary, one of the high offices of the British 
> State, her job, and it has transformed the terms of the debate on race here.
> Even in sleepy old Harlow -where anti racist campaigners have been regularly 
> abused in the past couple of years- I know, I've been threatened and even 
> spat on - a campaign stall last Saturday calling for Rudd's ( and May's) 
> resignation was warmly supported.
> The local MP ( from May's party) and his supporters were campaigning nearby 
> for this Thursday local elections..
> They packed up when we started shouting -'

Re: [NetBehaviour] query about politics - stories from exile

[Alan Sondheim]

This is fascinating to me; I've been in a swarm of locusts avoiding a 
wildfire in Utah. I was one or two or many with the locusts.
And Garrick? For some reason I've felt strangely haunted by him. And by 
Rachel for example, and definitely Bernhardt, these figures who have left 
almost no trace (there are some very late recordings of Bernhardt's voice 
which is astonishing), who cast shadows that haunt the imaginary of the 
theater, or theater's doubles -


- Alan

On Thu, 3 May 2018, Johannes Birringer wrote:


(may I respond to Michael and Alan's posts again?)


In the story ?Orthopterans,? from the collection Stories from Exile 
(1983), waiting becomes a form of patience about meaning or choosing, a 
matter of not rushing to choose the version of the past that you wish to 
have as a prelude to your present.


'Not even Borges', we are told, 'can be expected to cleave to a strict 
chronological order.' Or to a single tale when various good ones are on 
offer.


A plague of locusts in the pampas causes serious lateness in the 
ordinarily very punctual, English-run rail service from Buenos Aires to 
Mendoza. How did the locusts get there? A person called ?the professor? 
brought them to pollinate the flowers, but they just multiplied instead. 
When was this? ?Who can say?? the local informant replies. ?Could be ? 
when the Indians camped out in these parts, or even before.?


In that case the professor was perhaps a witch doctor. Myths have a 
flexible sense of time. In any event the man wanted to make amends for 
his mistake, and promised to bring water to the largely non-arable land. 
His method was unusual. He reappeared with a figure whom ?the population 
couldn't help but see ? as a magician who would make it rain more than 
before.?


They were wrong, but on the right track.

The man was an English actor. Learning this the locals hoped he was a 
comic actor ? if he couldn?t produce water at least he could make them 
laugh.  The man ? his name was Garrick, so he was either the famous 
thespian himself or a helpful alternative avatar ? said his acting was 
?comic and otherwise?  and proceeded to entertain his audience ?with 
stories, gags, wit, impersonation, much brilliance, and occasional 
grimaces, but tactful ones, without any sort of exaggeration.?


The people laughed until they cried, their tears forming a river, ?and 
in that way, through the magic of joyous tears, lakes, lagoons and other 
deposits which, if they are large enough, are given the name of mar 
chiquita, spread across the vastness of Spanish America.?


Mar chiquita means ?tiny sea.?  Orthoptera is the order of insects to 
which locusts belong. What do they have to do with Garrick?s act?  The 
narrator?s opening line is an answer of a kind: ?I?ll tell it the way 
they told it to me.?




(from Antonio Di Benedetto's Stories from Exile)


regards
Johannes



From: NetBehaviour [netbehaviour-boun...@lists.netbehaviour.org] on behalf of 
Michael Szpakowski [m...@michaelszpakowski.org]

Hi Alan
What is really significant about all this, though, is that this shocking racism 
has cost the Home Secretary, one of the high offices of the British State, her 
job, and it has transformed the terms of the debate on race here.
Even in sleepy old Harlow -where anti racist campaigners have been regularly 
abused in the past couple of years- I know, I've been threatened and even spat 
on - a campaign stall last Saturday calling for Rudd's ( and May's) resignation 
was warmly supported.
The local MP ( from May's party) and his supporters were campaigning nearby for 
this Thursday local elections..
They packed up when we started shouting -'How do you know when a Tory is lying? 
-Their lips move!'
Across the country ordinary people have not conformed to the media narrative of 
bigotry but have been shocked by what has gone on

You can see the banners we used here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/szpako/41035408564/

Now we need to push forward to get rid of the vile racist May  (who bigged up 
the 'hostile environment' and continues to muddy the water by scapegoating 
'undeserving' immigrants) and the rest of her party.
This is do-able.  No need for despair, no justification for passivity, every 
reason for hope ...
warmest wishes
Michael


From: Alan Sondheim 
To: NetBehaviour for networked distributed creativity 

Sent: Wednesday, May 2, 2018 3:43 AM
Subject: Re: [NetBehaviour] query about politics -

Apologies for not having heard of this; as you know, we have our own
simmilar forms of brutality here...

Thanks, Alan

On Tue, 1 May 2018, Johannes Birringer wrote:



Dear Alan
yes, it probably is precisely as horrific as you felt it was,
there is much debate currently in the Uk about the "Windrush" generation and 
people who came here many years ago from the Caribbean
and have lived and worked and paid taxes in England 

Re: [NetBehaviour] query about politics - stories from exile

[Edward Picot via NetBehaviour]

Johannes,

That's good stuff!

Edward

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Re: [NetBehaviour] query about politics - stories from exile

[Michael Szpakowski]

I haven't the faintest idea what you're on about Johannes!
Must be my plumpes denken :)
m.

  From: Johannes Birringer <johannes.birrin...@brunel.ac.uk>
 To: NetBehaviour for networked distributed creativity 
<netbehaviour@lists.netbehaviour.org> 
 Sent: Thursday, May 3, 2018 7:23 PM
 Subject: Re: [NetBehaviour] query about politics - stories from exile
   
(may I respond to Michael and Alan's posts again?)


In the story ‘Orthopterans,’ from the collection Stories from Exile (1983), 
waiting becomes a form of patience about meaning or choosing, a matter of not 
rushing to choose the version of the past that you wish to have as a prelude to 
your present.

'Not even Borges', we are told, 'can be expected to cleave to a strict 
chronological order.' Or to a single tale when various good ones are on offer. 

A plague of locusts in the pampas causes serious lateness in the ordinarily 
very punctual, English-run rail service from Buenos Aires to Mendoza. How did 
the locusts get there? A person called ‘the professor’ brought them to 
pollinate the flowers, but they just multiplied instead. When was this? ‘Who 
can say?’ the local informant replies. ‘Could be … when the Indians camped out 
in these parts, or even before.’

In that case the professor was perhaps a witch doctor. Myths have a flexible 
sense of time. In any event the man wanted to make amends for his mistake, and 
promised to bring water to the largely non-arable land.  His method was 
unusual. He reappeared with a figure whom ‘the population couldn't help but see 
… as a magician who would make it rain more than before.’  

They were wrong, but on the right track.

The man was an English actor. Learning this the locals hoped he was a comic 
actor  – if he couldn’t produce water at least he could make them laugh.  The 
man – his name was Garrick, so he was either the famous thespian himself or a 
helpful alternative avatar – said his acting was ‘comic and otherwise’  and 
proceeded to entertain his audience ‘with stories, gags, wit, impersonation, 
much brilliance, and occasional grimaces, but tactful ones, without any sort of 
exaggeration.’  

The people laughed until they cried, their tears forming a river, ‘and in that 
way, through the magic of joyous tears, lakes, lagoons and other deposits 
which, if they are large enough, are given the name of mar chiquita, spread 
across the vastness of Spanish America.’

Mar chiquita means ‘tiny sea.’  Orthoptera is the order of insects to which 
locusts belong. What do they have to do with Garrick’s act?  The narrator’s 
opening line is an answer of a kind: ‘I’ll tell it the way they told it to me.’ 
 



(from Antonio Di Benedetto's Stories from Exile)


regards
Johannes



From: NetBehaviour [netbehaviour-boun...@lists.netbehaviour.org] on behalf of 
Michael Szpakowski [m...@michaelszpakowski.org]

Hi Alan
What is really significant about all this, though, is that this shocking racism 
has cost the Home Secretary, one of the high offices of the British State, her 
job, and it has transformed the terms of the debate on race here.
Even in sleepy old Harlow -where anti racist campaigners have been regularly 
abused in the past couple of years- I know, I've been threatened and even spat 
on - a campaign stall last Saturday calling for Rudd's ( and May's) resignation 
was warmly supported.
The local MP ( from May's party) and his supporters were campaigning nearby for 
this Thursday local elections..
They packed up when we started shouting -'How do you know when a Tory is lying? 
-Their lips move!'
Across the country ordinary people have not conformed to the media narrative of 
bigotry but have been shocked by what has gone on

You can see the banners we used here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/szpako/41035408564/

Now we need to push forward to get rid of the vile racist May  (who bigged up 
the 'hostile environment' and continues to muddy the water by scapegoating 
'undeserving' immigrants) and the rest of her party.
This is do-able.  No need for despair, no justification for passivity, every 
reason for hope ...
warmest wishes
Michael


From: Alan Sondheim <sondh...@panix.com>
To: NetBehaviour for networked distributed creativity 
<netbehaviour@lists.netbehaviour.org>
Sent: Wednesday, May 2, 2018 3:43 AM
Subject: Re: [NetBehaviour] query about politics -

Apologies for not having heard of this; as you know, we have our own
simmilar forms of brutality here...

Thanks, Alan

On Tue, 1 May 2018, Johannes Birringer wrote:

>
> Dear Alan
> yes, it probably is precisely as horrific as you felt it was,
> there is much debate currently in the Uk about the "Windrush" generation and 
> people who came here many years ago from the Caribbean
> and have lived and worked and paid taxes in England but some have no 
> passports or legal documents and many have been threatened
>