Sun of Consciousness

From Glissant I am learning how to stand between two worlds: the beauty of nature and the darkness of history. Sometimes the rift between them looks endless, but the important thing is the present. That’s my personal insight into Sun of Consciousness. In Western ideology, it’s crucial to have definitions. As he says, “Who hasn’t dreamt of the poem that explains everything, of the philosophy whose last word illumines the universe, of the novel that organizes all the truths, all the passions, and conducts and enlightens them?” I believe Glissant understands how fragile that need for definition is.

This book articulates Glissant’s vision for a future in which literature defies nationality, as he adopts the stance of the poet-seer, calling for a gradual decolonization of the mind through a ‘continuous movement of literature […] marching toward yet other lands.’

Glissant’s assertions about poetry and language anticipate today’s most urgent and penetrating verse, such that Sun of Consciousness makes for a most timely text for study.

Sun of Consciousness cited in an exhibition review of Curtis Talwst Santiago: Can’t I Alter.

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