palestine by joe sacco
April 23, 2008
Every time I visit the comic book library, there is someone different at the check-out counter. That works well as each person has their own favourites there, so I have been introduced to a host of fantastic books. My last recommendation was Joe Sacco’s ‘Palestine‘, an illustrated collection recounting his two month trip to the area between 1991 and 1992. Sacco travels to various refugee camps and interviews many of its residents, detailing their stories and grieviances in painful detail.
I have to say the book made for uncomfortable reading to start with, with its stark images and severe telling of the Palestinians’ every day lives and troubles, including graphic descriptions of torture and imprisonment by Israelis. At first, I felt overwhelmed by his drawings, similar to reading the news on the latest in the Israel-Palestinian conflict, but more confronting. Also, his position as an observing Western outsider made it difficult initially to get a feel for his stance.
Possibly as his own alliances developed, and as he got to know people better, the stories grew more subtle and gentle, making it much easier on the mind to read. In one of the chapters many Palestinian women give their different answers as to why they do or do not wear headscarves. Towards the end of the book, an Israeli woman in the book expresses anger that Sacco presents only one side of the conflict, however this is as good a version as any of that side as you will ever read.
Several of the people Sacco encounters confront him and demand to know what good his reporting and drawing will do. He doesn’t have a good answer for them, and neither do I for you. But I certainly felt I learnt a lot from it, and it continues to play on my mind now, weeks afterwards.
1000 giant party balloons and the lost priest
April 23, 2008
I’m really not sure what to say about today’s post. I first heard the story on the radio last night while drifting off to sleep and put it down to my semi-concious state. This morning’s news confirmed it was all sadly true, and not at all a joke… unless someone cares to enlighten me?
Brazilian priest missing after balloon lift-off
The Guardian, Wednesday April 23 2008
A Brazilian priest is missing after drifting out to sea while trying to set a record for a flight using helium-filled party balloons, authorities said yesterday.
Father Adelir Antonio de Carli began his flight suspended in a harness-like seat from 1,000 balloons on Sunday in the southern port of Paranaguá.
He had intended to fly west for 20 hours – the record is 19 hours – but unexpected winds carried the 42-year-old Roman Catholic priest out over the south Atlantic on a south-easterly course.
Denise Gallas, the coordinator of the parish where De Carli works, said he was last heard from on Sunday evening, when he used his mobile phone to give his coordinates. “He was already over the ocean then,” she said.
De Carli, who flew about 55 miles before losing contact, had wanted to draw attention to the work of his parish in Paranaguá, which is largely aimed at lorry drivers who transport goods to and from the port.
Rescue workers in helicopters and fishing boats searched the coast south of Paranaguá, in Santa Catarina state. “We found bits of balloons all along the coast,” said João dos Santos, deputy fire commander in the coastal town of São Francisco do Sul.
De Carli’s seat was lined with airtight pockets that can be pumped up and there are several islands in the region that he could have washed up on, Dos Santos said. “The search will continue for some time,” he said.
The chaplain, who had reached an altitude of more than 5,000 metres (16,400ft), carried water, cereal bars and energy capsules. During a test flight in January, he was blown across the border into Argentina.
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UPDATE: Sadly, Brazilian authorities said yesterday that DNA tests on a body found off the coast confirm that it is that of Father Adelir. RIP to a man with a dream of flying.
