[-empyre-] on existence

[M White <mwhite@michelewhite.org>]

Thanks to Ana and Christina for their productive
questions. I was particularly struck by Ana's
consideration of Agamben, and important questions
about agency, that were thought through her own
imprisonment. I wonder if it is possible to exist
without being recognized? What does existence mean
when it is only negatively and cruelly constituted
through torture and dismissal? How do I, as an
individual and critic, offer Ana comfort while
attending to her critical consideration through the
self? Offers of physical or emotional support, while I
mean them, end up seeming unreal.

In my own experiences of being figured as "victim,"
even though I watched the flooding of New Orleans from
the weird space of my childhood bedroom, I have found
that I cannot successfully answer people's questions
about the current and past places of New Orleans.
People often want some quick answer that echoes the
media's "truth." Most of us in the city want to talk
both of something else (please!) and in a different
way. I certainly find it hard that people both want me
to recycle through the old story and then turn away
from the length of the narrative.

By the way, my first email was garbled by the wonders
of my client's spell check (what ironies). Please let
me know if readers need me to resend it.

All my best,
Michele