Reading week is almost here and it feels as if classes have barely begun (although the stack of homework burning a hole in mind would beg to differ). But to the question: "What’s surprised you? Any suspicions confirmed/undermined?"
I have to be honest and say that the initial distinction we made between Space and Place took me by surprise, or it at least got me thinking in a completely different way about the world I inhabit. It seems to me that there are variety of ways to accomplish this transformation; however, in my mind, the physical act of walking is at the top. Rebecca Solnit, in her novel Savage Dreams, talks about how walking forges a connection with the landscape, how we embed places into our "web of experience". In other words, walking rips us away from our sterile position as a voyeur and immerses us in de Certeau's everyday, in the chaos of life.
Suspicions? Somewhat confirmed. I knew from the outset that Edmonton had experiences to offer that were outside my normal place of habitat, and 380 has shown this to be true, yet I still can't grasp a coherent image of the city. But maybe Edmonton is a city that resists being labeled with any definitive meaning? Better question maybe?: What does Edmonton enable me to do?Does it increase my power to act?
I kind of want to respond to Friday's post, but it seems better to give other people a chance to answer your question - so I'm hiding this comment back a couple posts. I think what you say about the association of place and people is really interesting. It's easy enough to do in personal life ("this street reminds me of my babysitter," e.g.), but what you do is show how the same can be true of public places, too. Very interesting!
ReplyDelete