Stranger in the Village of the Sick: A Memoir of Cancer, Sorcery, and Healing - Couverture souple

Stoller, Paul

Couverture souple

ISBN 10 : 0807072613 ISBN 13 : 9780807072615

Editeur : Beacon Press, 2005

Synopsis

After more than fifty years of good health, anthropologist Paul Stoller suddenly found himself diagnosed with lymphoma. The only thing more transformative than his fear and dread of cancer was the place it ultimately took him: twenty-five years back in time to his days as an apprentice to a West African sorcerer, Adamu Jenitongo.

Stranger in the Village of the Sick follows Stoller down this unexpected path toward personal discovery, growth, and healing. The stories here are about life in the village of the healthy and the village of the sick, and they highlight differences in how illness is culturally perceived. In America and the West, illness is war; we strive to eradicate it from our bodies and lives. In West Africa, however, illness is an ever-present companion, and sorcerers learn to master illnesses like cancer through a combination of acceptance, pragmatism, and patience.

Stoller provides a view into the ancient practices of sorcery, revealing that as an apprentice he learned to read divining shells, mix potions, and recite incantations. But it wasn't until he got cancer that he realized that sorcery embodied a more profound meaning, one that every person could use: "Sorcery is a body of knowledge and practice that enables one to see things clearly and to walk with confidence on the path of fear."

A propos du livre

À propos de l'auteur

Paul Stoller is professor of anthropology at West Chester University of Pennsylvania and the author of eight books, including the award-winning Money Has No Smell: The Africanization of New York City. He lives in Wilmington, Delaware.

Détails de l'édition

• Éditeur: Beacon Press
• Date d'édition: 2005
• Langue: anglais
• ISBN 10: 0807072613
• ISBN 13: 9780807072615
• Reliure: Broché
• Nombre de pages: 240
• Coordonnées du fabricant: Beacon Press; https://www.beacon.org/Assets/ClientPages/History.aspx; ; THE BEACON PRESS 24 Farnsworth Street; Boston; MA; 2210; Etats-Unis
• Personne responsable: non disponible