Inhabiting the ‘posts’

Abstract

In this commentary, I reflect on Myriam Houssay-Holzschuch’s critical re-conceptualization of the ‘post’ as space-time regime and a means to unearth and engage complex geographies of change in South Africa and other post-colonial and post-socialist contexts. I situate our parallel imperatives to work through entanglements: in Myriam’s case, through metaphors that help engage the complex directionalities that might articulate space-time configurations and their possibilities; in my case, in the wide array of practices, the dialogues and collaboration, the contestations, which root intellectual practice, and the ways in which we inhabit ‘post space-time’. I particularly explore her invitation to engage critically with language to create vocabularies – metaphors and ordinary words – which help ground our work in the imperatives and urgencies, as well as the productive tensions and inspirations, which shape complex ‘post’ configurations.