File spoon-archives/avant-garde.archive/avant-garde_1996/96-11-30.184, message 150


From: Klefkal-AT-aol.com
Date: Sat, 23 Nov 1996 00:09:01 -0500
Subject: Re: Transnacionala review


In a message dated 96-11-21 02:03:36 EST, you write:

> again, uh hole-uther cannawurms).

I do love yer language!

For me politics _is_ life and art is certainly utilitarian. Stuff keeps _me_
alive anyway.

I've been thinking some stuff concerning dominant (WASP-type) culture that
doesn't immediately relate to this strand. With yr indulgence, I'll slam down
the main points here to see if you're interested in pursuing it:

Weberian Calvinist culture forcing divestiture of most fun and human cultural
characteristics if economic success is desired; my ancestors, Scandinavians,
suckering for this, among many others; some folks, barred from economic
success for racial reasons or just not valuing it that highly, retaining
cultural characteristics that still have some flex and juice to them; this
being hated and resented by cold WASPs who left their elders, who knew how to
have fun, behind them, in return for a mess of pottage w/o which they still
feel, perhaps rightly, that they would have starved. My grandmother's stories
of all-night parties that she made no effort to duplicate in the new land,
etc.) In other words, racism is now actually culturism and doesn't have a lot
to do with this category "race" which is actually such an absurdity in this
country at least.  Is anyone doing any art about the terrific loss immigrants
accepted in return for prosperity? I mean, is the dominant (impaired
immigrant) culture permanently damaged? Can it do anyone any good? Is it
fixable? What can art do?
Klefstad


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