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The Greek-derived word concept of "diaspora" was widely applied to Jewish historical patterns first, and then adopted by other cultural groups, nations and archetypes. There is a scattering and a far-flung replanting. There is a real or perceived Motherland, Fatherland, Homeland, Lost Land, Eden or Shangri-La.
The concept can be helpful or banal or mystifying. Depends on your point of view, I suppose, and sense of scale.
We could speak of a Cuban diaspora, for instance. Or an Armenian or Irish one. Or we could go continental and speak, write, think or conceive of an African diaspora. If Earth had to be abandoned and earthlings forced somewhere out into the rest of the universe, one could identify with an earthling diaspora.
Can we speak of a school diaspora? Maybe in a low-key kind of way. All our college or high school or grade school friends and peers were together a while, and then dispersed into the world. In which case, the Lost Land might be one of those institutions. Then there's the veteran diaspora. And so on.
Out there in the wider world, do you feel "the mystic chords of memory" hearkening back to some Lost World? That is, do you feel or have you ever felt diasporic?
Today's Rune: Movement.
People tend to move or migrate for several reasons, including work opportunity or survival and sometimes to find hope within a nested support system.
People are refugees or forced into relocation because of the effects of war, revolution and persecution -- the latter including slavery and religious or other cultural attacks on a scale ranging from harassment through coercion to genocide.
As of mid-2013, the biggest mass refugee movements radiate from just a handful of countries. That is, more than half of all new and recent refugees have been displaced by upheavals in Somalia and Sudan (plus South Sudan), Afghanistan (still), Iraq (still) and Syria. (Source: United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Displacement: The New 21st Century Challenge. Global Trends 2012 [2013]).
All refugees have stories to tell. Anyone can become a refugee. In addition to wild variables such as effects of war, revolution and persecution, we can add natural disasters, global warming, climate change and mass toxic events, or even slow seepage.
Today's Rune: Signals.
Let's set aside one's thoughts, if there are any, regarding Edward Snowden, and instead consider today's writing prompt.
If you were forced to go into exile away from your country of origin, and you could choose any other country or countries for asylum, what would it or they be, and why? If more than one, top five.
I've already canvassed a few people in person and learned some interesting things right off the bat.
Today's Rune: Journey.
Nurse Jackie (Showtime, 2009-present) stars Edie Falco. It's a nifty series with Falco building on her previous work (The Sopranos, etc.). Anyone else seen this one?
Looking back, the number of American TV shows with a woman protagonist has expanded over time. I remember reruns of Hazel (working as a house maid) from the 1960s, The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Julia (Diahann Carroll). Lucille Ball, of course, before that. I Dream of Jeannie, Bewitched, The Flying Nun. Oh yeah, Gidget and The Patty Duke Show.
Today's Rune: Movement.
Dexter ("A Showtime Original Series") will conclude this year at the end of its eighth season.
Questions for today's post:
If you've seen all or some of the series' episodes, what's your overall response?
If you haven't seen the show, what do you know about it through cultural osmosis -- and what's your response?
Today's Rune: Signals.
Ray Donovan, Ann Biderman's new series, began recently on Showtime. So far, excellent work. It's sort of like The Departed meets Dostoyevsky,* The Sopranos meets The Brothers Karamazov -- with a dash of Entourage and Californication on the side.
Ray Donovan (Liev Schreiber) is the badass protagonist and generally laconic "fixer" holding it all together; Mickey Donovan is his creepy but resilient father (Jon Voight) and main antagonist.
It's fun to watch how the ramshackle Donovan family system is revealed through various actions, pictures and flashbacks, bringing constant reminders of Boston to the West Coast. Very entertaining.
Today's Rune: Movement. *(or Dostoevsky, if you prefer).
More images derived from 8mm frames, New York 1964/1965 World's Fair.
The Big Tire ferris wheel, now located off I-94 between Detroit Metro Airport and Detroit proper. It's the world's largest Uniroyal and, indeed, the world's largest tire. From the World's Fair (where it included 24 little gondolas) to Allen Park, Michigan.
NASA booster rocket!
T-Rex -- now relocated to Glen Rose, Texas.
Today's Rune: Signals.
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