Memory, edited : taking liberties with history

Title:

Author:

Rumsey, Abby Smith, author.

ISBN:

9780262048477

Personal Author:

Rumsey, Abby Smith, author.

Physical Description:

248 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations (some color) ; 24 cm

General Note:

Source of cataloging data: WCP

Abstract:

"Memory, Edited explores historical memory in the context of today's crises of extremism and polarization, showing how narratives that seem to reveal an "arc of history" leading to progress or salvation are false accounts that exclude some groups and privilege others. Rumsey gives us a deep look at 20th century Russian and Eastern European artists as a way of exploring the effects of authoritarianism and the devastation wrought by regimes dependent on Big Lies to survive"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Making the Past Make Sense -- The Work of Memory -- Self and Society -- History as Judge, Jury, and Executioner -- The Tyranny of History -- Final Things Are for Children -- The Afterlives of the Past -- Prey to Chance -- Radical Reality -- The Free and Indispensable Work.

Subject Term:

Collective memory -- Soviet Union.

Collective memory -- Russia.

Political culture -- Soviet Union.

Political culture -- Russia.

Available:*

Library	Material Type	Call Number	Status	Item Holds
Searching... Sugar Grove - Todd Library	Book	DK38 .R86 2023	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable

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Summary

An exploration of historical memory and networks of meaning in the context of today's crises of extremism and polarization.

As authoritarianism continues to rise around the world, the stories we tell ourselves about what has happened and what is happening become ever more relevant. In Memory, Edited , Abby Smith Rumsey examines collective memory, how it binds us, and how it can be used by bad actors to manipulate us. Bringing forward the voices of a rich cast of Eastern European artists from the past two hundred years-from Fyodor Dostoevsky to Gerhard Richter-Rumsey shows how their work and lives illustrate the devastation wrought by regimes dependent on entrenched lies to survive. This hijacking of the narrative polarizes communities even as it commandeers our future.

Through an interdisciplinary lens that includes the best thinking from history, the arts, cognitive science, psychology, and political philosophy, Rumsey lays bare our narratives, showing how they are constructed and how they have changed over time. Ever-aware of resisting the false promise of utopia, Rumsey argues that only by confronting the past and reckoning with the crimes that were committed can we ever hope to heal and gain self-knowledge. Memory, Edited is an indispensable text for anyone who cares about democracy, equality, and freedom in our current age of crisis.