The Weight of History












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            Abstract

            This is a short work of creative ethnographic prose that relies solely upon crafted narrat
            rather than explain its message. In the mid 1990s, I spent two years doing ethnographic fi
            European traveling circuses. One troupe I worked in for a considerable amount of time incl

            of 16 different nationalities. They had a posted rule banning the display of national flag
            within their circus community, and – other than some fleeting heated moments during World 
            seemed to keep conflicts by nationality group to a minimum. Nonetheless, historical tensio

            under the surface. Although none of the people portrayed here were alive for the events of
            conflict still echoed down into everyday life in the circus over 50 years later. This stor

            actual characters and events the author experienced, although all individuals’ names and s
            characteristics have been changed.
            Keywords: creative ethnography; narrative; Europe; nationality; war; circus; history


            Julia L. Offen [ URL "LM-1235.html "]


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