Braided Worlds

In a compelling mix of literary narrative and ethnography, anthropologist Alma Gottlieb and writer Philip Graham continue the long journey of cultural engagement with the Beng people of Côte d'Ivoire that they first recounted in their award-winning memoir Parallel Worlds . Their commitment over the span of several decades has lent them a rare insight. Braiding their own stories with those of the villagers of Asagbé and Kosangbé, Gottlieb and Graham take turns recounting a host of unexpected dramas with these West African villages, prompting serious questions about the fraught nature of cultural contact. Through events such as a religious leader's declaration that the authors' six-year-old son, Nathaniel, is the reincarnation of a revered ancestor, or Graham's late father being accepted into the Beng afterlife, or the increasing, sometimes dangerous madness of a villager, the authors are forced to reconcile their anthropological and literary gaze with the deepest parts of their personal lives. Along with these intimate dramas, they follow the Beng from times of peace through the times of tragedy that led to Côte d'Ivoire's recent civil conflicts. From these and many other interweaving narratives—and with the combined strengths of an anthropologist and a literary writer— Braided Worlds examines the impact of postcolonialism, race, and global inequity at the same time that it chronicles a living, breathing village community where two very different worlds meet. In a compelling mix of literary narrative and ethnography, anthropologist Alma Gottlieb and writer Philip Graham continue the long journey of cultural engagement with the Beng people of Côte d’Ivoire that they first recounted in their award-winning memoir Parallel Worlds. Their commitment over the span of several decades has lent them a rare insight. Braiding their own stories with those of the villagers of Asagbé and Kosangbé, Gottlieb and Graham take turns recounting a host of unexpected dramas with these West African villages, prompting serious questions about the fraught nature of cultural contact. Through events such as a religious leader’s declaration that the authors’ six-year-old son, Nathaniel, is the reincarnation of a revered ancestor, or Graham’s late father being accepted into the Beng afterlife, or the increasing, sometimes dangerous madness of a villager, the authors are forced to reconcile their anthropological and literary gaze with the deepest parts of their personal lives. Along with these intimate dramas, they follow the Beng from times of peace through the times of tragedy that led to Côte d’Ivoire’s recent civil conflicts. From these and many other interweaving narratives—and with the combined strengths of an anthropologist and a literary writer—Braided Worlds examines the impact of postcolonialism, race, and global inequity at the same time that it chronicles a living, breathing village community where two very different worlds meet. History,Africa,West,Social Science,General,Anthropology,Cultural & Social A Beng Path To Birth (september 1986-may 1987). Alma : Of Blessings And Bad Faith ; Philip : The Scrabble Champion ; Alma : Two Homes And A Hospital -- Censored Words (march 1990). Philip : La Crise ; Alma : Can You Teach Anthropology To A Toddler? ; Philip : Our Own House Of Mbari -- Back In The Village (may-june 1993). Alma : The House Of Africa ; Philip : Raising The Stakes ; Alma : Old Agendas, New Agendas ; Philip : The Adventures Of Tintin ; Alma : The Spirit Of Grandfather Denju ; Philip : One Screen Door -- Casting Spells (june-july 1993). Alma : Another Story To Confess ; Philip : Anything But Invisible ; Alma : Too Expensive To Die ; Philip : The Waiting Fax -- Things Of The Heart (july-august 1993). Alma : Mad To Be Modern ; Philip : My Father's African Afterlife ; Alma : The First Twelve Months Of Life ; Philip : Welcoming Ghosts ; Alma : Amenan's Lament ; Philip : Denju, Denju ; Alma : Mystical Musical Chairs ; Philip : Gifting Party ; Alma : Tying Up Loose Ends ; Philip : Shooting Fish -- A Different Fieldwork Site (january 1994). Alma : Converging Paths ; Philip : Ka-na Poblé -- Epilogue : Côte D'ivoire And The Beng In Crisis -- A Brief Note About The Beng. Alma Gottlieb And Philip Graham. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. In a compelling mix of literary narrative and ethnography, anthropologist Alma Gottlieb and writer Philip Graham continue the long journey of cultural engagement with the Beng people of Côte d'Ivoire that they first recounted in their award-winning memoir Parallel Worlds. Braiding their own stories with those of the villagers of Asagbé and Kosangbé, Gottlieb and Graham take turns recounting the dilemmas and dramas of cultural contact while chronicling a living, breathing village community where two different worlds meet. Book jacket Braiding their own stories with those of the villagers of Asagbe and Kosangbe, the authors recounts a host of unexpected dramas with these West African villages, prompting serious questions about the fraught nature of cultural contact.