One likely innovative direction may lie in the hope of improving historical analysis within anthropology. This may be achieved, for instance, by taking Lévi-Strauss’s mytho-logical analysis very seriously, in particular his claim that myths are ‘machines for the suppression of time’ (1964: 24 [Eng. 1969: 16]). The myths generate the appearance of stability, an illusion of timelessness that cannot be affected by changes in the world, but they do so by means of their ceaseless transformations which, from the analyst’s point of view, mark their very historicity as objects. This is obviously not because mythic narratives preserve details of ancient cultural patterns, nor that they have been preserved unchanged through the generations and hence give us access to how ancestral people thought.
Instead, as Peter Gow argues in his An Amazonian Myth and Its History (2001), which is an excellent ethno- graphic demonstration of Lévi-Strauss’s correct claim, this is because myths are themselves historical products that carry within themselves the traces of what they seek to erase, that is, their own former states. Therefore, if we accept that myths are operating to suppress time, we can look to the very myths themselves to tell us what historical events and processes they might be seeking to obliterate. If the myths are indeed seeking to ‘come to terms with history’, and seeking ‘to re-establish equilibrium at the level of the system’ (Lévi-Strauss, 1971: 543 [Eng. 1981: 607]), it is in that equilibrium that we might begin to look for the history that we seek.
Levi-Strauss (1969)"Music uses time to obliterate time"
There’s a lot we can numb ourselves to in order to survive, says Meghan O'Rourke. But can we ignore our inability to come together to mourn the dead?
China prepares to declare VICTORY over coronavirus outbreak as President Xi visits quarantined residents in Wuhan and the city closes all of its 14 makeshift hospitals
At Realnoe Vremya Natalia Antropova has a Q & A with: 'Slavist Maria Candida Ghidini on how Dostoyevsky is read in Europe, why the pope cites him and the difficulties of translation of the writer into Italian', ‘Of course, we don’t usually kill old ladies like Raskolnikov, but this charm of evil exists in each of us’.
Among her observations:
It was considered until recently that Dostoyevsky wrote in a confusing and chaotic way, and that translators of his book tied up any loose ends. However, the confusion is his style, sometimes conscious enough. For this reason, for instance, I decided to leave repetitions of words. However, editors thought I didn’t know Italian synonyms, couldn’t find other words, and they simply deleted all repetitions without even letting me know. It was very hard to edit my translation, we debated. Now translators treat Dostoyevsky’s style more consciously and with great respect.
Now Is the Time for Open Access Policies Here’s Why - Creative Commons: “Over the weekend, news emerged that upset even the most ardent skeptics of open access. Under the headline, “Trump vs Berlin” the German newspaperWelt am Sonntag reported that President Trump offered $1 billion USD to the German biopharmaceutical company CureVac to secure their COVID-19 vaccine “only for the United States.” In response, Jens Spahn, the German health minister said such a deal was completely “off the table” and Peter Altmaier, the German economic minister replied, “Germany is not for sale.” Open science advocates were especially infuriated. Professor Lorraine Leeson of Trinity College Dublin, for example, tweeted, “This is NOT the time for this kind of behavior—it flies in the face of the #OpenScience work that is helping us respond meaningfully right now. This is the time for solidarity, not exclusivity.” The White House and CureVac have since denied the report.
Today, we find ourselves at a pivotal moment in history—we must cooperate effectively to respond to an unprecedented global health emergency. The mantra, “when we share, everyone wins” applies now more than ever. With this in mind, we felt it imperative to underscore the importance of open access, specifically open science, in times of crisis…”
As we settle in to an unfamiliar time of working from home, minimal social contact and isolation of some kind, thank goodness for Netflix, Amazon, Apple etc etc.
On Amazon, take a look at:
- Perennial favourites Bosch and Goliath. Gritty, urban, down ‘n dirty. Five series (so far) of Bosch, and three of Goliath.
- The complicated, complex, engaging Counterpart with Academy Award winner J.K. Simmons playing two parts – or is it one? Compelling stuff.
- The Hunters. Al Pacino in rip-roaring form leading a bunch of unlikely characters of Nazi Hunters in a vice-ridden, tawdry Son of Sam fearing New York City – inspired by true events.
- If you liked Gomorrah and Suburra, you’ll enjoy Zero, Zero, Zero – Italian gangsters moving drugs from Mexico across The Atlantic.
On Netflix:
- Series Three of Babylon Berlin is out now – decadent, brilliantly shot.
- Hinterland – Three series, 12 episodes all 90 minutes, full, complete whodunnits in the Welsh Valleys – Shetland Welsh-style.
- Trapped – dark Scandinavian suspense in Iceland.
And on Apple:
- Fremantle’s New Pope with John Malkovich and Jude Law is irresistible.
I also enjoyed a couple of movies:
- A lighthearted cop story with an excellent Mark Wahlberg – Spenser Confidential.
- The Two Popes – Anthony Hopkins in excelsis.