I read large parts of the first volume of his book last night — skimming some of it — and it’s brilliant. I’d always wanted to buy/read it, as in when it came out in English, but didn’t have the time/money. It has to do with the present but I think it also has to … More Klaus Theweleit
The words about slavery — negro, mulato, zambo, and more come from Spain. The idea of race and racial discrimination came from there too, starting with religion, Jewishness as a race. The Portuguese brought slaves to Spain in the early 15th century and slaves were brought to the Americas early on; the Iberians may have … More More Afro-Pessimism
Seeing like a state: Cecilia Valdés causes anxiety, or trouble, because she is not legible, except to a Latin American, who can fijarla and therefore is also fixed in place by her. (What moves and what slips from view is interesting in this book.) Legras points out that in the case of the Mexican revolution, … More The article, or the book
