(Were you looking for this Sea Pageant?)
I work with old books. I ask how they invite us to read with them, to open ourselves into their pageantry, their joie, and sometimes, their violence. I work with books that document triumphant festivals in the time of the first colonial contacts between Europe and what was, for Europeans, a New World. You can see some “Brislilans” in the corner. Or maybe their Norman sailors dressed up as “Brazilian” Tupinambaux warriors. Or maybe they’re Norman sailors who became Tupinambaux. Regardless, we can’t tell for sure. That’s part of the joie. That’s part of the violence.
dan j ruppel 