27 November:
a case for space
I know I should study more geography when I start coming up with
(and then sharing publicly to top it off) titles for blogposts like ‘a
case for space.’ if only because further study might lead to somewhat
more nuanced plays on words (kind of puts a whole new spin on
“space-case.” maybe? maybe?)
anyhow.
I’ve been thinking about those flags.
firstly, however, a couple disclaimers: yes. the Albanians haven’t invented nationalism—let alone the mass-production of flags. it’s not so much the Albanian part of the flags as the flag part of the flags which I keep coming back to. it reminds me of the opening essay in Slavenka Drakulic’s book “Cafe Europa, Life After Communism” where she talks about being raised on the pronoun “we” (read Socialism), and how such an all-encompassing identifier eliminates or seeks to eliminate so much of the diversity, the individualism (and individuals) we actually encounter in the world. For me, this whole notion of space takes the argument one step further—because using “we” implies that “we” know who “we” are (and perhaps more importantly, who “we” are not). combined with space (shift to the pronoun “ours”) so much of that beautiful space where meaning, identity, self get explored, expressed and re-explored, re-expressed, depends upon these pronouns—those we’s and ours’—as being flexible, mailable. as not being monolithic or static. But, it also begs for space (physical, metaphorical) where these identities can be teased out, some safe space were it’s alright to be unsure (and my mind’s eye cuts to Shana’s second-grade-self-face saying “sometimes girls just want to be a boy for a day”—ask me for a copy of the Claire [Oglesby] movie). because (thank you Brene—I knew it’d come back to you [http://www.ted.com/talks/brene_brown_on_vulnerability.html]) vulnerability, well, it’s key.
the flags, to me, feel like big honking pronouns, tacked up all over town—except that they’re either “we/ours” or "they/theirs" depending on how you hold your head, squint your eyes and read the text. but it’s slightly more complicated than that—they’re anonymous pronouns, they’re public pronouns. I don’t know how to dialogue with these pronouns—these flags (but it could be graffiti, symbols) purely because they are static (of course the meaning I ascribe to them is not but…). Furthermore, to me, having them placed strategically in public spaces forces the question of pronouns into the public—except that it feels like it’s in the form of a yes/no question. there isn’t a lot of room for “maybe.”
anyhow.
I’ve been thinking about those flags.
firstly, however, a couple disclaimers: yes. the Albanians haven’t invented nationalism—let alone the mass-production of flags. it’s not so much the Albanian part of the flags as the flag part of the flags which I keep coming back to. it reminds me of the opening essay in Slavenka Drakulic’s book “Cafe Europa, Life After Communism” where she talks about being raised on the pronoun “we” (read Socialism), and how such an all-encompassing identifier eliminates or seeks to eliminate so much of the diversity, the individualism (and individuals) we actually encounter in the world. For me, this whole notion of space takes the argument one step further—because using “we” implies that “we” know who “we” are (and perhaps more importantly, who “we” are not). combined with space (shift to the pronoun “ours”) so much of that beautiful space where meaning, identity, self get explored, expressed and re-explored, re-expressed, depends upon these pronouns—those we’s and ours’—as being flexible, mailable. as not being monolithic or static. But, it also begs for space (physical, metaphorical) where these identities can be teased out, some safe space were it’s alright to be unsure (and my mind’s eye cuts to Shana’s second-grade-self-face saying “sometimes girls just want to be a boy for a day”—ask me for a copy of the Claire [Oglesby] movie). because (thank you Brene—I knew it’d come back to you [http://www.ted.com/talks/brene_brown_on_vulnerability.html]) vulnerability, well, it’s key.
the flags, to me, feel like big honking pronouns, tacked up all over town—except that they’re either “we/ours” or "they/theirs" depending on how you hold your head, squint your eyes and read the text. but it’s slightly more complicated than that—they’re anonymous pronouns, they’re public pronouns. I don’t know how to dialogue with these pronouns—these flags (but it could be graffiti, symbols) purely because they are static (of course the meaning I ascribe to them is not but…). Furthermore, to me, having them placed strategically in public spaces forces the question of pronouns into the public—except that it feels like it’s in the form of a yes/no question. there isn’t a lot of room for “maybe.”
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