"Histories of forgetting, geographies of remembering: exploring processes of witnessing and performing" (England, Jacyntha)
Experi (menting) with Form and Style in Response to "Histories of Forgetting"
Transfix (v): To cause (someone) to become motionless with horror, wonder or astonishment.
Transform.(v): To change in condition, nature or character.
definitions from Merriam-Webster dictionary
To my right
a cup of lukewarm tea
left untouched as the text became all-encompassing.
Fingers dance across the keyboard searching for the words
-- flip back to the article
re-read
write, reflect.
To my left---
My own copy of
"Behind Closed Doors: Stories from the Kamloops Indian Band"
Jolts me back to 2009, Thompson Rivers University.
Memories of reading the stories
Hearing first hand the experiences
of my classmates' parents
grandparents
aunts
uncles
community elders reflecting
Discussions on what 'stopped' us in bearing witness.
Reactions from community members to harper's Apology
My first true recognition of the horror---through the stories of those who survived.
My own 'crisis of witnessing'
Transfixed. Transformed.
Now, England's article.
How do BORDERS divide us? Do MAPS create borders, or record them?
How do educators blur the boundaries to awaken curiosity? consciousness?
To bear witness to that which is difficult to talk about?
To understand our role, our power oppression lived experience agency?
Through performing "embodied responses" (England)
Augusto Boal's "Theatre of the Oppressed"
Through witnessing the stories.
What surprised me about this thesis?
Everything.
I loved the way it was woven together.
Narrative
critical analysis
poetry
memoir
travelogue
Thesis coming to life out of acknowledgement of own POWER and PRIVILEGE
a desire to be aware of this as a transmitter of information. (England)
Responding in agreement to quotations of other scholars as the basis for stating position.
Then, asking the reader (the spect-actor) to consider borders, boundaries, historical events.
3 ideas to move forward with:
"Arts education should not remain separate from the curriculum"(England)
integrate narrative into my research writing
poetry
travelogue
memoir
critical analysis
"Get messy, take risks, make mistakes" (Miss. Frizzle) with font, text, space
allow the expression of ideas to dictate the style.
be unafraid of the perceived expectation of 'academic writing'
"As a writer you should not judge. You should understand." (Hemingway)
acknowledge bias (one's own) but
try to remain subjective in documenting experiences.
Transfix (v): To cause (someone) to become motionless with horror, wonder or astonishment.
Transform.(v): To change in condition, nature or character.
definitions from Merriam-Webster dictionary
To my right
a cup of lukewarm tea
left untouched as the text became all-encompassing.
Fingers dance across the keyboard searching for the words
-- flip back to the article
re-read
write, reflect.
To my left---
My own copy of
"Behind Closed Doors: Stories from the Kamloops Indian Band"
Jolts me back to 2009, Thompson Rivers University.
- Required reading for a course on Truth and Reconciliation
Memories of reading the stories
Hearing first hand the experiences
of my classmates' parents
grandparents
aunts
uncles
community elders reflecting
Discussions on what 'stopped' us in bearing witness.
Reactions from community members to harper's Apology
My first true recognition of the horror---through the stories of those who survived.
My own 'crisis of witnessing'
Transfixed. Transformed.
Now, England's article.
How do BORDERS divide us? Do MAPS create borders, or record them?
How do educators blur the boundaries to awaken curiosity? consciousness?
To bear witness to that which is difficult to talk about?
To understand our role, our power oppression lived experience agency?
Through performing "embodied responses" (England)
Augusto Boal's "Theatre of the Oppressed"
Through witnessing the stories.
What surprised me about this thesis?
Everything.
I loved the way it was woven together.
Narrative
critical analysis
poetry
memoir
travelogue
Thesis coming to life out of acknowledgement of own POWER and PRIVILEGE
a desire to be aware of this as a transmitter of information. (England)
Responding in agreement to quotations of other scholars as the basis for stating position.
Then, asking the reader (the spect-actor) to consider borders, boundaries, historical events.
3 ideas to move forward with:
"Arts education should not remain separate from the curriculum"(England)
integrate narrative into my research writing
poetry
travelogue
memoir
critical analysis
"Get messy, take risks, make mistakes" (Miss. Frizzle) with font, text, space
allow the expression of ideas to dictate the style.
be unafraid of the perceived expectation of 'academic writing'
"As a writer you should not judge. You should understand." (Hemingway)
acknowledge bias (one's own) but
try to remain subjective in documenting experiences.
Hey Sarah,
ReplyDeleteI loved your comment! The structure and layout of England's thesis is amazing; I haven't really seen anything like that before. Though she's writing about some dark times in history, there's a sense of joy evident in her writing. You echo that fearless creative expression in your comment. (It must have taken you ages to format it!)
How great! It's inspiring to see you experimenting with form in your blog post to reflect the surprising ways that England wrote her thesis. This is lovely!
ReplyDeleteHi Sarah,
ReplyDeleteThis is fascinating. I have never seen anything like this. I love that you brought the creativity element into your blog post, very postmodern. It reminded me of a discussion in another course: the war against humanities in higher education. With limited access to arts in primary and secondary education, students are not likely to have anything to do with it in post-secondary institutions. If we were to integrate arts education into the curriculum, it might turn out quite differently!