I've spent all day (Off and on. I've not obsessed over it though) pondering what would be the best, most authentic way for me to celebrate America's birthday on this blog, a way that would clearly express my current feelings about this country. Those feelings are very complicated right now. There were lots of images, famous speeches, poems, great pieces of literature and even some originally composed pieces to choose from, that could have fit the bill. In the end however, I decided to simply use this picture of Rick Genest--the model, affectionately called "Zombie Boy" by some, to do all my speaking for me. This photo works for me chiefly because Rick's famous tattooed body depicts death yet the demise representing tattoos are placed on a body that is very much alive. This metaphor, in large part, works for me. It reflects my current feelings about this great and terrible country--a country that is undeniably filled with so much life and so many positive attributes underneath the surface, all the way to its beautiful beating heart. Yet on the surface, in many respects, this country seems quite dead to me. Genest himself is, of course, Canadian. Oh well...
No comments:
Post a Comment