Embodied memory: war and the remembrance of wounds in Nina Bouraoui and Lela Sebbar

The role of memory practices in building spiritual solidarity for survivors of state violence

“…It is in this process of memory making that we get to construct a spiritual solidarity of those we write about and their loved ones who continue to denounce and bring to life their loved ones. This spiritual solidarity emerges through the relational character of memory (Halbwachs, 1992) and the embodied connection that Leonilde has developed with her son's memories after his death (Vassallo, 2008) which is then transmitted to others through memory practices. Being able to get to know Leonilde's son along with other victims of state crimes, through the eyes and stories of their loved ones, allows for heart connection to these crimes and not simply an analytical understanding.…”

“…Memory practices are positioned as embodied practices that not only keep the memory alive of those who have been forcibly disappeared or murdered but also as a primary tool by which survivors find meaning in their own lives and thus are able to maintain their own agency in the midst of grief, collective trauma, and ongoing violence (Vassallo, 2008). The experiences of 15 survivors of state violence from Colombia who have lost a relative to forced disappearance or murder, are at the heart of this study.…”

“…Algeria is not in what comes out. She is in what devours” (Bouraoui, 2000, p. 167 as cited in Vassallo, 2008, p. 189). Similarly, by centering the experiences of survivors of state violence in Colombia, this article shows how embodied memory becomes a practice of resiliency that transmits purpose to the lives of survivors in the present and how this relationship with the past and ongoing violence shapes the justice centered actions and visions for the future.…”

“…In this article, I situate the concept of embodied memory to describe how memories of loved ones are carried in the bodies and actions of those who actively remember them. Vassallo (2008), who analyzes the embodied memories of second‐generation Algerian women through an examination of narrative literary texts, describes how the impact of war and violence is inscribed in the bodies and memories of these writers. He highlights the work of Algerian‐French writer Bouraoui to describe this process, “Algeria is not in my language.…”

A Dark, Inner Life and a Society in Crisis: Nina Bouraoui’s Standard

“…Drawing on critical work on affect and queer theory, I read Standard outside the usual psychoanalytic framework with its emphasis on trauma, loss, and melancholy (Van Zuylen 2003;Vassallo 2008), highlighting instead the novel's inwardly focus on affect but also its politically charged content. In particular, I employ the term "queer" in this article not to refer to actual homosexuality but to highlight the protagonist's disruptive and non-normative actions and behavior, which deviate from the heteropatriarchal and neoliberal order.…”