Yes, I’m now old enough to remember things that some around me have never heard of — no, not the Hindenburg disaster but, say, lighter moments from popular culture. For example, a niece who used to keep me updated on cool music that I ought to be aware of (she was my own personal fountain of youth, in other words), once told me about The Ataris. Continue reading ““Don’t Look Back, You Can Never Look Back””
On Origins
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On the Modernity of History
Andie Alexander, Culture on the Edge’s Curator, has posted once again on the Grad Blog for the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Alabama on how present interests drive historical narratives.
Take a look.
On Fragments
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Turning Reality Into History Lessons
The local newspaper recently ran a story about the annual festival held at Moundville, located not far from Tuscaloosa — a large park and archeological site (associated with what is called the Mississippian culture, and complete with large platform mounds on which various sorts of structures were once built). Its decline is thought to have occurred around 500 years ago, but prior to that it seems to have been a major metropolitan center; my own University’s Anthropology Department, which offers a specialty in archeology, has a variety of digs taking place there. Continue reading “Turning Reality Into History Lessons”
Searching for Chimaeras
A few months ago while I was hosting Andie Alexander for a week or so in Thessaloniki, Greece, I decided that among our daytrips should be a visit to Mt Olympus (a destination that is, I know, among the highlights of anyone who visits Greece—that and the Parthenon in Athens, of course). So one day we took the highway south, towards Athens, and about 2 hours drive from Thessaloniki we reached the slopes of the mountain, which myth has it was the home of the “Twelve Gods” of the ancient Greeks. Over bumpy roads and narrow passages that made for a thrilling experience, we drove up the mountain to a refuge (a youth hostel with coffee service), which was at 1000 metres height above sea level and about 2000 metres below the top of the mountain, surrounded by thick vegetation and a wonderful view of the Aegean Sea and the Gulf of Thessaloniki. Continue reading “Searching for Chimaeras”
Fabricating Origins …One Coffee Bean at a Time
During a recent coffee run to Starbucks, an advertisement caught my eye – it read – “Ethiopia Single-Origin.” They’re many things about this ad that strike me as curious, especially the ways in which ‘Origin’ as a single and monolithic “thing” is juxtaposed over and against the country Ethiopia which is, like all places, quite heterogeneous.
These terms coupled together create a homogenizing effect through mythological constructions of singularity and originality. What could possibly be singular about the country Ethiopia and the coffee beans produced there (consider, for example, in Ethiopia, there are over 90 individual languages/communication systems operative)? Just a brief consideration of the (cross-cultural and geographical) travel involved in the producing, manufacturing and selling of commodities like coffee beans from this place and that ought to shift such discourse on the perceived distinctiveness of such claims. Continue reading “Fabricating Origins …One Coffee Bean at a Time”
When the Stakes are High
Leslie Dorough Smith wrote a post the other day on how we all resort to telling origins stories. As she noted, it’s a common rhetorical technique used when selling products and when talking about ourselves, either as individuals or as group members of nations, religions etc. No doubt we do tell origins stories and create myths to prove our worth: “I was here first!” says the little kid when competing for the swing. Continue reading “When the Stakes are High”
Our Sofas, Ourselves: The Art of Selling Origins
See this hot pink number above? It’s called the “Swan Sofa.” Here’s the Swan’s (and its designer’s) description in the online catalog of the company that sells it, Design Within Reach: Continue reading “Our Sofas, Ourselves: The Art of Selling Origins”
On Stories
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