May 23, 2024
Anthony Cody and Paisley Rekdal, moderated by Tess Taylor
Many of us, when faced by stacks of dusty old documents, might
leave the work to the archivists—or consign the mess to the
recycling bin of history. In this session, we'll hear from those
who instead look at archives and envision poetry. Poet Paisley
Rekdal vividly documents how the heroic narrative of the
transcontinental railroad is intertwined with the history of
Chinese exclusion. Anthony Cody centers on the ongoing legacy of
trauma along the US–Mexico border after the end of the
Mexican–American War.