Country of my skull : guilt, sorrow, and the limits of forgiveness in the new South Africa / Antjie Krog ; [introduction by Charlayne Hunter-Gault].

Author
Krog, Antjie [Browse]
Format
Book
Language
English
Εdition
1st pbk. ed.
Published/​Created
New York : Three River Press, ©2000.
Description
viii, 423 pages ; 21 cm

Availability

Available Online

Copies in the Library

Location Call Number Status Location Service Notes
Marquand Library - Remote Storage: Marquand Use OnlyDT1757 .K76 2000 Browse related items Request
    Stokes Library - Wallace Hall (SPIA) DT1757 .K76 2000 Browse related items Request

      Details

      Subject(s)
      Author of the introduction
      Summary note
      Ever since Nelson Mandela dramatically walked out of prison in 1990 after twenty-seven years behind bars, South Africa has been undergoing a radical transformation. In one of the most miraculous events of the century, the oppressive system of apartheid was dismantled. Repressive laws mandating separation of the races were thrown out. The country, which had been carved into a crazy quilt that reserved the most prosperous areas for whites and the most desolate and backward for blacks, was reunited. The dreaded and dangerous security force, which for years had systematically tortured, spied upon, and harassed people of color and their white supporters, was dismantled. But how could this country--one of spectacular beauty and promise--come to terms with its ugly past? How could its people, whom the oppressive white government had pitted against one another, live side by side as friends and neighbors? To begin the healing process, Nelson Mandela created the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, headed by the renowned cleric Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Established in 1995, the commission faced the awesome task of hearing the testimony of the victims of apartheid as well as the oppressors. Amnesty was granted to those who offered a full confession of any crimes associated with apartheid. Since the commission began its work, it has been the central player in a drama that has riveted the country. In this book, Antjie Krog, a South African journalist and poet who has covered the work of the commission, recounts the drama, the horrors, the wrenching personal stories of the victims and their families. Through the testimonies of victims of abuse and violence, from the appearance of Winnie Mandela to former South African president P.W. Botha's extraordinary courthouse press conference, this award-winning poet leads us on an amazing journey. Country of My Skull captures the complexity of the Truth Commission's work. The narrative is often traumatic, vivid, and provocative. Krog's powerful prose lures the reader actively and inventively through a mosaic of insights, impressions, and secret themes. This compelling tale is Antjie Krog's profound literary account of the mending of a country that was in colossal need of change.
      Notes
      Includes index.
      Bibliographic references
      Includes bibliographical references and index.
      Contents
      • They never wept, the men of my race
      • None more parted than us
      • Stretched thinner and thinner over pitches of grief
      • The narrative of betrayal has to be reinvented every time
      • The sound of the second narrative
      • The wet bag and other phantoms
      • Two women: let us hear it in another language
      • Guilt is on the move with all her mantles
      • The political page curls over itself
      • Reconciliation: the lesser of two evils
      • Amnesty: in transit with the ghosts
      • The political tongue at anchor
      • Blood rains in every latitude
      • Letters on the acoustics of scars
      • It gets to all of us-from Tutu to Mamasela
      • Truth is a woman
      • Then burst the mighty heart
      • The shepherd and the landscape of my bones
      • A tragedy of errors
      • Mother faces the nation
      • Beloved country of grief and grace.
      ISBN
      • 0812931297 ((pbk.))
      • 9780812931297 ((pbk.))
      OCLC
      45226644
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