The Problem of Words in the Eighth Moment

Abstract

This poem addresses the limitations of language for representing experience and shaping political action at this historical moment of inquiry. Words have the power to name or to silence. Who owns a particular narrative, and who has a right speak for whom? As worldwide political, social, and environmental issues become ever more pressing, we need pragmatic tools to bridge the gap between naming and doing, and strategies to move from fear and passivity to collective agency.