Sunday, May 20, 2012

Centuries of Imperialism

"I have discovered what undoubtedly comes as no surprise to anyone: that stories in the world, all the stories that are known and told and remembered, all those little stories that for some reason matter to us and which gradually fit together without us noticing to compose the fearful fresco of Great History, they are juxtaposed, touching, intersecting: none of them exists on their own. How to wrest a linear tale from this? Impossible, I fear. Here is a humble revelation, the lesson I've learned through brushing up against world events: silence is invention, lies are constructed by what's not said, and since my intention is to tell faithfully, my cannibalistic tale must include everything, as many stories as can fit in the mouth, big ones and little ones"


Words: Juan Gabriel Vásquez
Image: Peter Van Agtmael

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