No Man’s Land: Writing the Story of Displacement

We’re living in a time when record numbers of people in the world are being displaced—whether by war or climate change or disaster or economic insecurity. Carol Edgarian (Vera) and Paisley Rekdal (Appropriate) are writers whose works span genres (fiction, poetry, nonfiction and hybrid) yet are linked in their themes of displacement. In this session, they’ll talk about what it means to write, record, and imagine the lives of migrants, refugees, and the uprooted in art. How does depicting the past in poetry and fiction allow us to capture the nuances and universal truths that speak to our present moment? What is the difference between responding to the traumatic experiences of others and appropriating them? These two multifaceted authors both live in the intersection of different cultures, and therefore have a good deal to say on the page and in this conversation about the ethical stakes of writing about displacement, identity, and representation in an ever-changing world—and how art can help us heal as we navigate this challenging terrain.

The bookstore partner for this session is Sausalito Books By The Bay! Buy the books online at Bookshop.org or purchase them in person at the Festival. More information here.

Book signing information: Sausalito Books by the Bay Tent at the Bookstore Blv (corner of Allston & Milvia in the Outdoor Fair) at in the park, 2:15 PM

In partnership with Narrative Magazine