Claudia Rankine on Triage, Antigone, and Collapse
Poet, essayist, and playwright Claudia Rankine joins co-hosts Christian Barter, Jennifer Maritza McCauley and Whitney Terrell to talk about her new book Triage. Rankine outlines the decades-long relationship between the book’s narrator and a character she names “the theorist,” who,
In her new book Triage, poet, essayist, and playwright Claudia Rankine explores the relationship between the book's narrator and a character she calls "the theorist." Their decades-long friendship is marked by opposing reactions to the same situations, with the theorist advocating for action and the narrator fighting for silence, routines, and quietude. This dynamic echoes the ancient Greek tragedy Antigone and resonates with contemporary reactions to events such as the war in Gaza and the second Trump Administration.
Rankine discusses the role of visual imagery in her work, sharing an excerpt from Triage where the narrator reads Antigone while in the bathroom. Frustrated by the government's policies and in response to them, the narrator laments, "Shouldn't our response at least echo what's already been said? Be whatever you want, and I will bury you.
It seems fair to me to die doing it." Rankine explains that this passage reflects the importance of demonstration and showing up in the face of injustice, despite not directly participating herself. The theorist's collapse in the face of the "too-muchness" of the current situation disappoints the narrator, who feels the need to continue engaging in dialogue.
Ultimately, Rankine aims for Triage to be a performance of conversation rather than an instruction, allowing the reader to witness the power of language and the complexities of relationships in the face of societal challenges.
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