Refugee stories

There was reading at Powell's City of Books this afternoon for I Lived to Tell the World: Stories of Holocaust, Genocide, and the Atrocities of War. The woman who calls herself the author is at center, and two of the people whose stories are told are Saron Khut, left, who survived the “Killing Fields” of Cambodia although most of his family was murdered; and Emmanuel Turaturanye who survived the genocide in Rwanda, in which his parents, grandparents, and all siblings except the baby were killed. All the people whose stories are included in the book have lived or are living in Portland.

I was very moved by stories the two men told, and I look forward to reading the book, although if I had done it, I would have called myself the editor, not the author. One of the issues of my professional life was that I never called myself an author of other people’s stories. The “subjects” are the authors, and their stories are their most important possessions. Oral stories belong to those who lived them. The person who hears the stories and writes them down is, in my opinion, the editor. 

The two men told stories of resilience and miraculous survival. The word “Genocide” was used repeatedly. But no one spoke of the genocides happening now, so when Q & A started, I stood up and said there is a genocide happening now; what can we do about it. The woman who calls herself the author answered first and said that they do not take political “sides,” and that there are two sides to every story. When she allowed the men to speak, each of them implored us all to do everything we can do. Turaturanye said not one more human being should die in violence. Khut said please do everything you can think of to do. Both said, whatever you do, don’t remain silent. 

Extra: two well-known photographers were present in the audience: Jim Lommasson, the tall white-haired man in the blue sweater and faded red turtleneck, and John Rudoff, the man in black with a fine camera in his hand. Lommasson is an art photographer who created photos of what refugees carried with them when they escaped their homes. The link takes you to a six-minute video that describes his photographic project eloquently. I think it's one that will interest most of you. Rudoff is a retired cardiologist and commercial photojournalist who specializes in crisis and violent confrontation.