Every community, every workplace, and every individual life in Canada owes some of their current shape to long histories of struggle — histories that are kept largely invisible by the single, simplistic national story that most of us are taught to see as “History.” Talking Radical: Entering Canadian History Through the Stories of Long-time Activists — Gender and Sexuality and Talking Radical: Entering Canadian History Through the Stories of Long-time Activists — Resisting the State (both forthcoming from Fernwood Publishing in late 2012) start from the words of long-time participants in social movements engaged in a range of struggles, as a way to introduce readers to important pieces of the past that get excluded from the dominant narrative of this country.
In the pages of these books history comes to life in popular and accessible ways allowing readers to make connections between past struggles, our present struggles and possible futures. … The powerful and often inspiring narratives that Scott weaves together provide important moments of our social histories and are not only about the historical past – although often they allow us to view and feel the past in very different ways. They are also very much about the historical present that we find ourselves in today, how it has been made, and how it can be transformed.— from the Foreword by Gary Kinsman, Professor of Sociology at Laurentian University, co-author of The Canadian War on Queers: National Security as Sexual Regulation and much more
The focus on the words of participants themselves provides an entry into history that is accessible and engaging, while generous use of historical context and challenging ideas allow readers to see these singles lives as parts of larger patterns. Inquiring minds trying to understand the world and active people trying to change it will be able to use these books to catch glimpses of the struggles that shaped the Canada of today and to inform their choices as we all make the Canada of tomorrow.
These books are also ideal for use in classrooms focused on social movements, on the struggles of oppressed and marginalized groups, and on critical understandings of the Canadian nation and state — check back here for supplementary audio material associated with each chapter that can be used in classroom settings.
This website is still in development, but in the coming months it will take on something resembling a stable appearance and I will begin to regularly post updates — audio and written excerpts of material not used in the books, news about promotional events, links to resources, more details about interview participants, and other updates. Check back regularly for new content, and for more concrete details about when the books are going to be released.
Stay tuned!
| Play a Random Selection from a Talking Radical Interview: |
Read a Random Selection of Talking Radical Interview Material. |
