réponds: how did you arrive? (2)...trappin.’ you know, the survival thing to do to make a living...
TRANSCRIPT
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Réponds:Howdidyouarrive?(2)aseriesofstepsordeceleratingprogressionspasde(noschematiccoveringthefamiliarscape((escapepresupposesreturnthepast“anidealdimension”orvelocity((water))agroundwateralwaysreturningthoughneverfullyretrievableanarchiveoflostthingsmemorylonginggriefarkhive
Isle(s) Dernière(s)
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Flora
SomedaysIstandatadrawingtable,sketchingnativeplants,somerare,somecommon.Bluevinemilkweed,orswallow-wort,twinesgorgeouslyupfenceposts,alongroadsides,stitchesitswaythroughfields.Somecallitanoxiousweedthoughthemonarchslovethem.Hownotlovesomethingnamed“honeyvine”withitsheart-shapedleaves?Itslines,simpleanddiffuse,comeeasilytothepage.Equisetumhyemale,ontheotherhand,demandsmyattention,itscreamystrobilusknottedwithsporangiophores.Horsetailrush,orwinterscouringrushbecauseonceusedtocleanpots,growshappilyinshallowwater.Itsrigidstemslacedwithsand,allthebetterforscrubbing.Quietinthediffuselightofmyroom,Ilistentothepondoutside,watersplashingintoitselfamongnativeiris,pickerelandzebrarush.Reflectionswaveroverthepanesofthewindow,water-markingthepage.Inthelateevenings,gulfcoasttoadscallfrompondtoplumeria,comesee,comesee,comesee.Howknowtoknowanyplacecomesfirsttomethroughtreesandbirds,nativeplants.InFlorulaLudoviciana,AFloraofLouisiana,Ifindacompanioncreature,oftenasuncertainasIam.FirstcollectedandrecordedbyC.S.Rafinesquethen“Translated,Revised,andImproved,fromtheFrenchofC.C.Robin”itsplantnamesareofteninerror.TrackingthemthroughtheaegisofGoogle,mostmodernnamescomeclear.Thoughintheend,Ichoosenottoincludetheirnameswiththeimages.InsteadtheentriesbecomeareservoirfromwhichIdrawfragmentednarratives.WhatmightsuchlanguagesayofsouthLouisianain1817translatedbythismeanstothepresent?“cirriform/likeastar/arealwhite/andfour.”Ofhoneyvine,“somefaint/fruitandhabit/astranger/naturalorder.”Theexquisitecommonworldeverywherefeedsme.Whichbird?Whichvine?Whatsortoftree,whosethornedtrunkthrustssharphooksfromsmooth,grayskin?Pressedflowersatthebaseofthepage.Throughwoodsandtrails,alongcanoetrailscircumnavigatinglakes,trampingintothewoods,thegroundalternatelywetanddry,thequotidianchanceofwetfeet.Theunderstoryisthickwithdwarfpalmettossendingtheirbroadfrondssplay-likeintotheairorcollapsedontotheground:almostanyvinemakesthepalmettoshabitat,bananaspidersspinningnetsofgoldensilkbetweenonefrondandthenext.SouthLouisiananamesthemaftertheirlong,curvedorange-andamber-mottledabdomens.Theyarelovelyspiders,happystringingtheirtrapsinmygardenbetweenrosesandroofline,oramongtheraggedwoodsofoakandpecantrees,ofblackberrybrambleswherethehorseandIpass,almostblithelythoughIkeepalongstickhandyforclearingthebiggestones.Thehorseflickshistailatflies,andcanters,leftforelegreachingout,whitehindbrightinthedust:aleafydesirerousedbyridingthroughthesewoods,findingbalanceasthehorseacceleratesacrosslastspring’sacornsandoveralowfence.Awhiteblazeandonewhitestockingforluck.WhenIbrushhimdownaftertheride,squirrelsscoldoverheadandhenickersathisneighborsstampinginalinebesidetheweatheredredofthebarn.Behindthewoods,windsoughsthroughacanefield,thesugaralreadyeightfeethigh.Ofbananaspiders,thefemaleseatthemalesaftermating,ahighproteinmealbeforeegg-laying,assuringthesuccessofherclutch.Athome,half-finishedinpond-light,drawingswaitonmyreturn.
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Réponds:Whatdoyourememberabouttheearth?processesplains::mountains::seas canyon cañoninvertingtheheightsaccretionprecipitationerosionstonetomudstonetomudstonetomudstonetomudstonetomud
neither/not::stonesandloamlatepleistocenesedimentlagoonalclaydeltaicclayMississippialluvialloessnotdryilsnaviguèrentlesmarécagesenpiroguelesbayous|| swamp wetland bay
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Andtheenvironmenttheycamefrom.Thetrawlin,’thecrabbin,’theshrimpin,’thetrappin.’Youknow,thesurvivalthingtodotomakealivingandsurvive.Well,whenthey’dgettotheoilfieldthey’dusethesamepracticalapplications,youknow?Let’strythisseeifitworks.Let’strythis.Weusedtodothis.Irememberwhenwedidthiswiththeboat.Youknow?Wehadtogetitupwedidn’thaveno…drydockandwe’dutilizethis.Youknow?Justfromlifeexperience.They…appliedthat.Whentheywentontheir…ontheirjobs.Anditdidn’ttakethemlongtolearn.Andthen….alltheboatskipperswerelocalpeople.FromdowntheBayou.Beenonboatsalltheirlife.Andtheydidn’tneedcompasses.Theydidn’tneed…welltheydidn’thave.Theydidn’tevenhavecompasses.Muchlessradar.Buttheydidn’tneedcompasses.—WerlienProsperie,July9,2003.Houma,LA.Cajunmusicianandoilfieldworker
whiteandhandsomewhitishandsmooththemalecylindricalloose
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Réponds:Whatthismeanssnak-ing
(figureandground)ameansthroughnothingcertain(((buoyed,bodied)watersupposingground
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whatTexacoused:JimmiMartinonthebayouandoffthelandTexacoTexacoasixty-fivefootaseventy-twofootboatinthefisheriesinthefisheriestheoilfieldboomingamatterofknowingoilrigswoodenrigsLeevilleandGoldenMeadowpipelinesinthemarshhaulingpipelayingpipeinthemarshlikeapieintheskysteadypaycheck,andfishingoystersthesmallluggerssmallwoodenluggerstheoilcompaniesdumpedeverythingoverboardcouldfilltheGulfupthebay,orthelakes
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filltheGulfupwithcan’thardlytrawlorwedodging,theselonghangsnoregulationregulationtrashleftonthebottomcars,gratingfilecabinetsdesks,asinkanythingwentoverthesidedon’tcarewhatoverthesidetenfootdeep
“Weareallokay.Ithitbad.Wehadplentyoftroublekeepingthingstogetherwithnothingmuchtodo.TannieandItookOlgaandhertwochildren,GlennandOldNoraandherfivechildrentohighlanduntilthestormwasover.NowIamontheboatwithDadaandTannie,goingbackhome….Westilldidnothavehighgulfwaterbutwindandsandblowing…Ican’tsayifwewillhaveabigloss.Somefamilieswillloseplenty.–ZoeCessacSagrera,ChenierauTigre,September20,1943,LouisianaParadise
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thereupon
LouisianaToxicsRelease
Inventory(TRI)
TheEPAtracksthemanagementofcertaintoxicchemicalsthat
mayposea
threattohumanhealthandtheenvironment.
Totalonsiteandoff-sitedisposal
orotherreleases:140.4millionlbsfrom389companies.Mostprevalenttoxicsreleased:
Acetonitrile,Ammonia,
Methyl,Methacrylate,
Cyanidecompounds.
Louisianaranks5outof56states/
territoriesnationwide
basedontotalreleasespersquaremile
(Rank1=
highestreleases),2015.
(https://ia
spub
.epa.gov/trie
xplorer/tri_factsheet.
factsheet_forstate?&
pstate=LA&
pyear=20
15&pP
aren
t=TR
I&pD
ataSet=TRIQ1)
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…GrandTerreisgoing:theseaminesherfort,andwillbeforemanyyearscarrytherampartsbystorm.GrandIsleisgoing,–slowlybutsurely;theGulfhaseatenthreemilesintohermeadowedland.LastIslehasgone!–LafcadioHearn,Chita
sevenfeetbranchedlikeapeasweet
tocleanandscour
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Lapse::acitythecityshiftsonitspiers::alocalvernacularinundationsubsidencedown-warpingalluvialearthfloodcontrolandnavigational concernschatlikelaughinggullsonlevees lithospheremerelymudriver’sancientdepositionbird-foot shallow seatheweightofthings::highwaysbridgesrectilinearcitysprawlingtoward watercoteau::maidencane andarrowhead
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thingsofthepast searisingover
narrowshoalshydrologyofchannelizationsunking’s floodedrealm leConseilSouverainerodes
abrackishhem::
saltgrassandwiregrasslapsetoward
freshcanouchecitywrappedwithin bytheriverrapt
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PlaquemineAquiferReport(EPA,10/7/04)
“Itwasabeautifulspringmorning—warm&quietwithmists.”–DorothyWordsworth
itwasabeautifulcontaminanttransportabeautifuloriginalsourceareabeautifulprobablesource&quietsolidphaseserodedquietturbulentriverflowquietcut-bankitwasabeautifulturninthestreamabeautifulchanneleachbeautifulshifttotheoutsideturn&quietanycontaminantquietanyreleasedatorquietnearsite13itwasabeautifulfluvialprocessabeautifulsite13beautifulfacilitatedthemovement&quietcuttingtendstobequietprominentatthelikelyquietsignificantsourceitwasabeautifuldirect((indirect))contactabeautifuluppersandaquiferbeautifuloncecontaminantsmoved&quietPlaquemineAquiferquietaquiferquietuppersanditwasabeautifultransportabeautifulMississippiRivertransportbeautifuldispersedaway&quietprocesses((advectionand
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quietdispersion))contributetoquietplumegrowthitwasabeautifullateralstreamcuttingabeautifulpipelinebeautifulaccelerateddescent&quietcuttingtherequietvinylchloridequietcis-1,2dichloretheneitwasabeautiful1footperdayabeautifulroughestimatebeautifulspreading&quietindicatedbyquietpurposequietanideaofitwasabeautifulorderofmagnitudeabeautifulcontaminantreachbeautifulMyrtleGrovewells&quiet20-40yearquiettimeframequiet1964Dowdioxinitwasabeautiful[formerlyMorrisonville]spillabeautifulracialbeautifulprofilingofchemical&quietplantplacementquietlikelysignificantsourcequietareainblackitwasabeautiful((colorlineabeautifulcolorline))doesnotruleoutbeautifuldoesnot&quietruleoutquiet1993releasequietthecontaminatedmaterialitwasabeautifulnolongeridentifiableonthesurface
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abeautifulvinyl-beautifulchlorideingroundwater&quiet97ppbquietdrinkingwaterquietMyrtleGrovewatersupply
onlythecalyxadmitting
doubtfulitsnatural
affinity
mightalsobeakin
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Réponds:Whatthismeans(2)
whatthismeanswhatany
whatmattersaskingwhatwaters
meaningthisalsowhatyou’reasking
((peri-tacticalmeaning
anysuchanysuchwaters
distanceanswers
matternomatter
water
water||(para)tactical(-taxaamatterof
wateringtheground
whatwatergatherswhatthis
gather asks
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currentofgeography1adriftonacurrentofgeographyhere||nowamovementlikebreathscaffoldingtime:
insecthum birdcall waterspill leafrattle
oakpollen&oakcatkinsdriftintheaircollectoneverysurfacevernalshowerofoakssouthLouisianadousesitselfinmalegametesturnschartreusewhileazaleasbeckonwhiteandblushedwantonseedmaking
2time(re)assertsitselfgenerationallyifIstopmovingdoIoccupythesameplaceorhashistoryleftmebehind
larksstillcallfromlemontreesdartinlowtrajectoryfromlemontooakshallowgobletsofrosescentwaveonpressureofwind,thisbreezetraversinganother(felt)space
3walkingasresthere now there gatherlaundrybeforerainorwashmyhairreadvoraciouslyoutdoorsignoringthesummonstodayandduty:
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smallcarpcarvealgaewithorangemouthsgreengivingwaytoblackwaterspillsintoitselfalongtroughintroducingsoundandoxygenlemonblossombrushesitsscentovermyskinandspringstays
here whereIstop
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MyrtleGroveTrailerParkrowsofsugarcane
hardagainst“weallhadmiscarriages”
dentedbutdecentsmotheredsteakandstewedPLAK-uh-muntrailersacommunityceasestoexistwhatwasnotsaidawordnot—LouisianaHospitalsandHumanServicesaword—failedto,failedvinyl-chlorideinthewaterreporttoreportMyrtleGrove
“AndIthought—”DowChemicalworkingtopin-pointthesource((partofthe “Ihope—”solution((source))theplantisnotthesource“—Idon’tlosemybaby”5years“humanerror”failuretoreporttotellvinyl-chloridedetectedinUpperPlaquemineAquifer
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jobsformorethan6000Dowandcontractemployeespartofthesurroundingcommunitybalancingeconomicenvironmentaland::bigshadetreestrailerswithporchessocialresponsibilitysplashpoolsmenwashingcars “wealljustwent—”emptyspacebrownpatchespeopleandhomesgonewindblowsinoffthecane“—onwithlife,cookingwithit”Dow’s“pureproduct”((1964PVCproduction))noknowinghow5yearsDow“workingtobepartofthesolution”toxicgroundsalreadycondemnedMorrisonville((cemetery))“Thirteen—”contaminatedwatermiscarrying
“—Thatmanywomenononestreet?”DowinLouisianachildrenthrongfromtheschoolbusafternooncools “Itwas—”re-locatingonchecksal-
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readyspokenfor((“partofthesolution”))
“aniceplace”