Zapatista Hikâyeleri

by Subcomandante Marcos, Çiğdem Dalay (Translator)

In this gorgeous collection of allegorical stories, Subcomandante Marcos, idiosyncratic spokesperson of the Zapatistas, has provided “an accidental archive” of a revolutionary group’s struggle against neo-liberalism. For 30 years, the Zapatistas have influenced and inspired movements worldwide, showing that another world is possible. They have infused Left politics with a distinct imaginary—and an imaginative, literary or poetic dimension—organizing horizontally, outside and against the state, and with a profound respect for difference as a source of political insight, not division. Marcos’s inspiring and sometimes Kafkaesque stories bear witness to how a defense of indigenous traditions can become a lever for the construction of a new anti-capitalist and anti-patriarchal world. With commentaries that illuminate their historical, political, and literary contexts and an introduction by the translators, this timeless elegiac volume is perfect for lovers of literature and lovers of revolution.

Genres: Politics, Fiction, Short Stories, Indigenous

256 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2001

About the author

Subcomandante Marcos (date of birth unknown) is the spokesperson for the Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN), a Mexican rebel movement. In January 1994, he led an army of Mayan farmers into the eastern parts of the Mexican state of Chiapas in protest of the Mexican government's treatment of indigenous peoples.

Marcos is an author, political poet, adroit humorist, and outspoken opponent of capitalism. Marcos has advocated having the Mexican constitution amended to recognize the rights of the country's indigenous inhabitants] The internationally known guerrillero has been described as a "new" and "postmodern" Che Guevara. He is only seen wearing a balaclava, and his true identity remains unknown.

Reviews

[Sarah-Hope · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to acknowledge that I enjoyed the introduction to Zapatista Stories for Dreaming An-Other World and other supplementary materials more than the stories themselves. The stories tend to be brief and have a wicked humor, so they read quickly and entertain, but don't feel a bit limited. The real substance occurs when the translators discuss what the project of translating this book was like: how the translations were done, the choices made during the translation process, etc. If you're at all interested in today's Zapatista movement and other indigenous struggles, you will find this collection highly rewarding.

[Isil · Rating 5 out of 5]

http://okudumdanoldu.blogspot.be/2011...

Kitabı bitirdim ama bunu yazmam birkaç gün sonra oluyor. Nedense ne yazacağımı bilemedim. Kitap El Sup'un sembolik hikayeleriyle dolu. 3 bölümden oluşuyor: Gezgin Şövalye yani Durito'nun yanında olduğu zaman; Yaşlı yani Koca Antonio'nun anlattığı hikayeler ve son olarak Genç yani komündeki çocukları anlattığı kısım. Hikayerlerden en çok sevdiğim Koca Antonio'nun anlattıkları ve çocukların belki sadece bir gülüşü üzerine kurulu ufak hikayeler. Sevgili El Sup'un kalemine ne kadar hayran kaldığımı anlatamam. İhsan Oktay Anar'ınkine hayranlığım kadar büyük ama farklı. Beyninin içinde neler döndüğünü anlamak için, biraz olsun anlamak için birkaç kez daha okumak gerekiyor. Tabii arada Meksika'da yaşananlarla ilgili güncel bilgiler elde edilmeli. Koca Antonio'nun hikayelerinden bahsedecek olursak, Koca Antonio Zapatista'ları yerli halka bağlayan "köprü"dür. İlk tanrılardan, yani dünyaya hayat veren tanrılardan hikayeler anlatıyor çoğu zaman. Renkler nasıl ortaya çıkmış, rüyalar aslında nedir gibi hayatımızda temel olan ama üzerine hiç düşünmediğimiz şeyleri yazmış. Çocuklarda bahsettiği kısımdaysa, çocuklara ne kadar zaafım olduğu açık.. Bazı sahnelerde ağlamak geldi içimden. 2 yaşındaki bir çocuğun kafasının üzerinden geçen savaş uçağı vesaire. Tabii bütün bu hikayeler her ne kadar ilgisiz de gözükse, Meksika Chiapas'taki yerli halk, komün hayatı ve oluşturdukları doğrudan demokrasi sistemiyle alakalı. Üzerine düşünmek, okuyan başka insanlarla tartışarak daha iyi anlamak isterim.

[maddie good · Rating 5 out of 5]

this collection of short stories has been my favorite read of the year thus far. they're penned by subcomandante marcos---former military leader and spokesperson of the zapatistas---and combine indigenous modes of storytelling / wisdom with political critiques on neoliberalism, ultimately aiming to imagine (through art) a new, revolutionary world. two really great aspects of this collection:

1. the foreword and commentary at the end give insight to the historical (and ongoing) fight of the zapatistas, who are an militant indigenous group from chiapas, mexico with the goal of fighting for indigenous land and autonomy. their movement centers community, artistic production, and care for land / people. really cool history & fire revolutionary principles.

2. the short stories are framed as creation stories / fables, and bring a really reflective perspective, rife with imagination and humor, to their morals and critiques. the revolution is framed as a struggle that, for indigenous communities, traces back to colonization, but encompasses all communities dreaming of a better world in the face of repression and violence. the stories bring a sense of revolutionary hope that feels particularly lacking in today's bleak world.

a quote for thought, from "the story of the little mouse and the little cat:"
"To bring an end to the crime and make hope bloom, we need only to struggle and to become better. The rest falls into place on its own and is what fills libraries and museums. Conquering the whole world isn't necessary; it is enough to make it anew...Cheers, and know that for love, a bed is only a pretext; for dancing, a tune is only embellishment; and for struggle, nationality is merely an accident of circumstance."

sorry for the long review, and if you've read this far, just read the damn book! it's short, I promise.

[Nic · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredible short collection of animal fables with critical commentary on the insurgent Zapatista movement for liberation. The aim of the book is to return humanity to ourselves. Sitting with these stories, telling and retelling them, I think they have the power to do just that.

[Krun · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wowee

[clara · Rating 5 out of 5]

this not only offers a meditative, expansive analysis of Zapatista history & cosmology, but an intentional selection of stories that elucidate the themes of resistance to colonial, capitalist, neoliberal oppression

[Denna Bee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Viva los sueños de los zapatistas ♥️🖤⭐

Essential reading for anyone dreaming of a better world

[Philip Horspool · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joyous and hopeful. Beautiful mix of story telling and history lesson. The Zapatistas since their ' emergence' from the Lacandon jungle on Jan 1st 1994 continue to be the alternative vision to the destruction, greed and hatred perpetuated by neo Liberal governments and organisations around the world. Ya basta!

[Andrew Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short but great read
Super insightful look into the mind set of the EZLN through simple yet very deep myth type stories. The stories are followed up with historical and cultural context that deepen their understanding.
Absolute must read for anyone interested in liberation theology and philosophy as well as general anti capitalism and anti neoliberalism.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m really glad that the commentaries were included with these stories, or their meanings would have been largely lost on me. I’m not very familiar with the Zapatista movement, and the commentaries helped to explain the allegorical symbolism behind many of these stories where it wasn’t readily apparent.

[Calvin Burke · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel somewhat embarrassed to only now be stumbling upon the Zapatistas, their history, and their thought. This collection of fairy tales, compiled and/or otherwise written by Subcommandante Marcos, are hauntingly lovely and among some of the most useful parables I have read in recent times, and the accompanying translations and commentary and also fantastic. Perfect bedtime stories for people of all ages, but calling them bedtime stories does not do their dialectical nature justice. “The Lion Kills by Looking” will both haunt and inspire me for the rest of my life, honestly. 5/5 stars, no question

[S. Henry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Main content was great, but I especially loved the commitment to detail in the preface and commentaries. I can't exactly say the political contexts changes the stories, (because their political themes are not codified) but they certainly strengthen the impact. My favourite story was 'The Little Mouse and the Little Cat' - jarring, comedic, and creates a shared sense of exasperation at negotiations (ya basta!). Boo, NAFTA.

[Angelina Zahajko · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Not much to say other than that this book was an absolute breeze to get through and taught me a lot about Zapatista history, folklore, and paths for future organizing.

Here’s to no more reading slumps for the rest of 2023

[shiv! · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful. A good blend of Zapatista history, news and parables. The commentaries bring greater depth and understanding to the preceding stories. Recommend flipping between the story and its associated commentary. Elucidated some questions about organizing philosophy I've been grappling with.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story of Don Durito de la Lacandona is delightful and I have been gleefully sharing extracts with less-than-impressed and disinterested peers. Oh.

[Stephaniedeshiro · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read it in my own crazy, mixed-up order of chapters but I absolutely enjoyed the stories and histories behind them.

[Karrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic everyone should read!

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good mix of fun and informative, I would have liked a few more allegorical stories and less 'Zapatista News' but still worthwhile

[Isabel Bellizio · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the content, but I wish the excerpts they chose were a little longer to give more context. Great starting point if you're interested in Zapatista history.

[Rob · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really dense collection of parables about the resistance of the modern Zapatista movement but a lot of the wider points are easily transferable about any resistance movement.

[Ricardo Barends · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really like it because it's reading leftist political theory but fun and still insightful

[Cheyenne Hamel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful translations, helpful history. Would have enjoyed the history interspliced with the writings rather than as an index at the end for user-friendliness.

[Bryce · Rating 5 out of 5]

I shouldn't have been surprised how good this book is but I was. The stories are delightful and instructive, all the more so for how serious and revolutionary their context is. Makes me think how parables likely used to feel before we turned them all into children's stories. The analysis (the second half of the book) was respectful, informative, and added a lot to my understanding of the Zapatista struggle. I was expecting it to be filler but it felt like a necessary complement to the parables of the first portion.

[Nat Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

While Marcos himself has been (rightly) critical of the Global North's focus on him at the expense of all other Zapatista leaders, most notably women like Comandanta Ramona and Major Ana Mariá, in one regard he deserves to be singled out – and that is as a writer. This collection displays his ability as not only a theorist, but a fiction writer. While each of these stories is a relatively simple parable exploring the principles and values of Zapatismo, they are also full of vibrant and evocative imagery. Marcos is a literary shapeshifter, deftly leaping from slapstick to bleak horror to sumptuous sensuality without ever telegraphing his next move. His prose is unpredictable in all things but its quality, which is always of the highest order.

[Arad · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's politically complex for what seems to be a book for children. It captures both the entertaining energy of a children's stories as well as the political complexities underlying the zapatista uprising. It's an informative and entertaining read to understand the Zapatista movement and is recommended.

[Mark Tranter · Rating 5 out of 5]

You gotta love Marcos.