Grief, Denial, and Racial Violence in the COVID-19 Pandemic (Part III)

Jonathan Chou // For Part I: I become inscrutable to myself For Part II: No sacrifice is excessive   III. Finding a relational home In the previous section, I argued that the war metaphor engenders a derealizing self and other relation that precludes the realization of our interdependency and the ethics of nonviolence conditioned by…

Grief, Denial, and Racial Violence in the COVID-19 Pandemic (Part I)

Jonathan Chou // This article in three parts is adapted from a critical theory essay that I wrote in the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder on May 25, 2020. It feels strange and even a little unbelievable that I wrote that essay then; the words “manic defense” and “intellectualization” come to mind. It is clear…

His Wife (No. 8847)

Jonathan Chou // His Wife (No. 8847) History from wife. The water came in through painted rain pipes. It was not paint but a daub of lard on his wife’s dress. She didn’t remove it after all.1 Things didn’t go smoothly. Furniture had to be wiped off. Elix. Iron Phos. Quin. & Strych. Smash the…