Trapped in the present tense : meditations on American memory
(Book)

"In a culture trapped in the present tense, how can we keep the past from disappearing? When we lose sight of the past, our ability to understand ourselves on both a national and personal level is inhibited. While exploring the darker constants in modern American life - violence, militarization, rapid technological change, inability to be truly attentive - and the disorientation these elements induce, Colette Brooks examines how the past disappears in a culture that is so relentlessly present-tense and whether or not we have a personal responsibility to remember. As our past falls into oblivion, are we potentially losing the individual as well, dissolved into demographic data points? And what of the general threat of extinction (catastrophic or personal)? As Oblivion Approaches is a modest act of resistance against erasure, and an attempt at recuperation. Composing in interrelated sections that build on and circle back upon each other. Brooks encourages reflection, stirs memory, and addresses a crucial question: how did all this happen?"--,Provided by publisher.