Categories: uncategorized
Date: 02 July 2005 13:24:18
Went to a place in Bristol yesterday called 'The Book Barn'. Basically it's a great big industrial unit filled with books, mostly seconhand and end of line I think. Kind of like Borders but on a military/industrial scale. Could spend weeks there. Managed to escape with a Coetzee, an Andre Brink, an Andrew Crumey and an Edmond Jabes. I knew the Jabes was destined for me, firstly because it is as rare as hens teeth and secondly because it has written inside the front cover "for David, who has a star". Hmmm. Anyway the book is called 'The Book of Shares' and it is NOT about the stock market. Jabes was (he's dead now) a Jewish poet, philosopher, theologian (of sorts), literary theorist, etc. Obviously as a Jewish writer he's concerned with exile, but as a permanent state that all humanity inhabits, exemplified by the exiles of the Jewish community. The title 'The Book of Shares' is one of those word-plays that Jabes does so well. When we share something we first of all break it and tear it apart, and then in the sharing of the broken thing the possibility of community, coming together, is extended. So sharing is a breaking and a coming together. The Live8 concert in London is due to kick off any minute and tens of thousands are marching in Edinburgh today and everybody seems to be talking about the world 'coming together', which is great. I've just got this strange feeling though that before Africa can be on an equal footing with Europe / N. America, a few things might have to be broken and torn apart. As one poet wrote, when you ask for justice to come like a river you'd better watch out, might get wet, might drown.