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Book Details
Abstract
‘John Berger has made the world a better place to live in. These essays tell us how he succeeded in that task.’
Arundhati Roy
In this collection of essays on the work of, and conversations with, John Berger, thirty-seven of his friends, artistic collaborators and followers come together to form the first truly international and cross-cultural celebration of his interventions.
Berger has for decades, through his poetic humanism, brought together geographically, historically and socially disparate subjects. His work continues to throw out lifelines across genres, times and types of experience, opening up radical questions about the meaning of belonging and of community. In keeping with this spirit and in celebration of Berger, the short essays in A Jar of Wild Flowers challenge us all to take the brave step from limited sympathy to extended generosity.
With contributions from Ali Smith, Julie Christie, Sally Potter, Ram Rahman, Jean Mohr, Nick Thorpe, Hsiao-Hung Pai and many others.
Yasmin Gunaratnam teaches in sociology at Goldsmiths, University of London. Her latest book is Death and the Migrant: Bodies, Borders, Care (2013).
'A lively collection of celebration and gratitude.'
Publishers Weekly
‘John Berger has made the world a better place to live in. I do not say this lightly. These essays tell us how he succeeded in that task.’ Arundhati Roy, author of The God of Small Things
'There are a few authors that can change the way you look at the world through their writing and John Berger is one of them.'
Jarvis Cocker, musician and author of Mother, Brother, Lover: Selected Lyrics (2012)
'The essays in this collection speak to the great range of John Berger's writing that so often reveals a crucial and often unspoken history of our times.'
Michael Ondaatje, author of The English Patient
‘An outstanding celebration of the commitment, compassion, and fierceness of John's generosity in his life and work. For decades, John has sought the heart of things and given strength. Come to this beautiful book for solidarity, for vision, and the affirmation that some voices are so true they must be heard.’
Anne Michaels, poet and author of Fugitive Pieces
'Like John Berger himself: remarkable in every sense. This collection is expansive, intimate, sensuous, poetic, and political. A book that enriches the soul.'
Suad Amiry, author of Sharon and My Mother-in-Law
Table of Contents
| Section Title | Page | Action | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Front Cover | Front cover | ||
| Title Page | iii | ||
| Copyright | iv | ||
| Dedication | vi | ||
| Contents | vii | ||
| List of Figures | xi | ||
| Acknowledgements | xiii | ||
| Foreword – Jean Mohr | xv | ||
| Preface – Amarjit Chandan | xix | ||
| Introduction – Yasmin Gunaratnam | 1 | ||
| The Colour of the Cosmos | 19 | ||
| Graphite – Hans Jürgen Balmes | 21 | ||
| Hay – Rema Hammami and John Berger | 30 | ||
| Fire – Kathryn Yusoff | 42 | ||
| Milk – Ana Amália Alves | 52 | ||
| Blood – Gavin Francis | 61 | ||
| Forest – Nikos Papastergiadis | 71 | ||
| Toast – Michael Broughton | 85 | ||
| Oil – Tessa McWatt | 90 | ||
| The Trees are in their Place | 103 | ||
| Fences – Nick Thorpe | 105 | ||
| Method – Iain Chambers | 118 | ||
| Life – Glenn Jordon | 131 | ||
| Meetings – Nirmal Puwar | 142 | ||
| Pain – Francisco-J. Hernández Adrián | 154 | ||
| Secrets – Hsiao-Hung Pai | 171 | ||
| Once Through a Lens | 183 | ||
| Memory – Heather Vrana | 185 | ||
| Stars – Vikki Bell | 200 | ||
| Conscience – Ram Rahman | 217 | ||
| Performance – Doa Aly | 222 | ||
| A Mirror – Rashmi Duraiswamy | 235 | ||
| Undefeated Despair | 249 | ||
| Trauma – Alicia Salomone | 251 | ||
| Jest – Salima Hashmi | 264 | ||
| Hate – Mustafa Dikeç | 270 | ||
| Hope – Malathi de Alwis | 285 | ||
| Spirit – Tania Tamari Nasir | 297 | ||
| Propaganda – Rochelle Simmons | 307 | ||
| Here Is Where We Meet | 321 | ||
| Notes – Amarjit Chandan | 323 | ||
| Verbs – Ali Smith | 329 | ||
| Play – N. Rajyalakshmi interviews Pushpamala N. | 338 | ||
| Tenderness – Christina Linardaki | 346 | ||
| Love – Julie Christie | 356 | ||
| Courage – Yahia Yakhlef | 358 | ||
| Solidarity – Ambalavaner Sivanandan | 365 | ||
| Tennis – John Christie | 370 | ||
| Afterword – Sally Potter | 379 | ||
| About the Editor and Contributors | 387 | ||
| Back Cover | Back cover |