A Luminous History of the Palm

by Jessica Sequeira

Under the paving stones, the palm. This little book can be read as a series of small portraits through time, all of which include a palm tree. Or it can be read as a revolutionary tract. The palm is a symbol traced through history, a hidden portal to intimate moments that bring geographies and situations to life. A vital presence, it coaxes out vitality. It's everywhere once you start to look, a secret joyful emblem. A Luminous History of the Palm would have been very easy to have spent a lifetime writing. Why the palm? Why not? Are abstract categories any better? Run your fingers over the leaves, help the plant to take root, sprinkle the water of your attention on the first story so it grows. Repeat the exercise a couple of dozen times. If you like, go on to create your own history on the basis of other trees, other flowers, other animals. Infinite stories proliferate, yet sprout from the same soil.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction

57 pages, Paperback

Published April 28, 2020

Reviews

[Joseph Schreiber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another unique and impressive miniature from Sublunary Editions—a series of microfictional anecdotes, each including a reference to palms, bound together by a meditation on luminosity and by extension, what a luminous history might be. A more detailed review can be found here: https://roughghosts.com/2020/05/05/im...

[daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

what if you were to dance along the breeze as an escape from time's worn paths, babbling your dithyrambs, seeking out movement with rhythm, with joy at last laying a fresh branch of palm between the years?

[James B · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this book.

[Reisse Myy Fredericks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Positioning the global south in a narrative of nurturing rather than conquest, this brief novella threads an alternate telling of world events through interconnected, international vignettes, all orbiting the symbolic palm tree. “Surfer” and “Rice Farmer” stand out in a bold collection, each a historical translation of time and place.

Tender, inventive, and healing protest with fierce intelligence at its core, this work blends autofiction and autotheory in an effort to define the concept, and action, of luminescence. Stunning.

[Georgia Papakirk · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so unique. I’m not sure if this style of narrative has been captured by any other authors, but I loved hearing about the integration of the palm tree into various facets of life and history. It was a really quick read, and I would recommend all people take an hour to finish this novella.

[Charlie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice little micro-cultural-history

[ania · Rating 4 out of 5]

We were late, but he stopped to buy marigolds

[in8 · Rating 4 out of 5]

https://5cense.com/23/1096.htm

[minya · Rating 5 out of 5]

incredible. beautiful written and always thought-provoking. a luminous collection of stories and insights.