"Frozen" Cold War Narrative (NeMLA)
Newport, RI
Event: NeMLA
In Asian context, the Cold War has not ended but became an ongoing structural condition that determines the social, political, and economic dimensions of everyday lives. The unresolved nature of the war has also left traces on a personal level, expressing through one's body, psyche, and their intimate relations. The Korean War (1950-present) as a proxy war between the two global superpowers, for example, has been continuing as manifested on multiple levels, and it keeps bringing back the traumatic past into the present while challenging the authoritarian interpretation of the war as "The Forgotten War". This session will discuss Cold War narratives that are written from the vantage point of those who have been living through the imperialist war violence. The main discussion centers around the unfinished -- "frozen" -- pasts that are still affecting our present lives, oftentimes taking the form of what is seemingly dissociated from the violent history. The narratives range over a variety genre of writings including fiction, memoir, and autofiction, and ultimately question the hegemonic memory politics that see the defining geopolitical conflicts of the twentieth century as a stable, diplomatic standoff, which has come to an end a while ago. Primary questions may include but are not limited to: How is the frozen nature of the Cold War manifested in the present time? How has the manifestation of the proxy wars in Asia been represented in literature? What is the role of literature in (de)constructing the official narrative/memory?
https://cfplist.com/nemla/Home/S/22433 (In-person only)
Jeeeun Jung