The Singer's Needle - by Ezer Vierba (Paperback)

About the Book

"Ezer Vierba's manuscript engages deeply and self-reflexively with issues of power and aesthetic form in twentieth-century Panama, using a novelistic form. A complex narrative that illuminates the nature of power (both institutional and disciplinary) and the tumultuous social and political history of Panama, Vierba's book brings to life three historical episodes that are critical to the shaping and corrosion of contemporary Panamanian institutions: the establishment of the penal colony on the island of Coiba in 1919; the judicial drama following the murder of Panamanian president Remâon in 1955; and the work and eventual "disappearance" of a radical priest in 1971"--

Book Synopsis

The Singer's Needle offers a bold new approach to the history of twentieth-century Panamá, one that illuminates the nature of power and politics in a small and complex nation. Using novelistic techniques, Vierba explores three crucial episodes in the shaping and erosion of contemporary Panamanian institutions: the establishment of a penal colony on the island of Coiba in 1919, the judicial drama following the murder of President José Antonio Remón Cantera in 1955, and the "disappearance" of a radical priest in 1971. Skillfully blending historical sociology with novelistic narrative and extensive empirical research, and drawing on the works of Michel Foucault among others, Vierba shows the links between power, interpretation, and representation. The result is a book that deftly reshapes conventional methods of historical writing.

Review Quotes

"Vierba employs a palimpsest of fiction and nonfiction writing to create a 'polyphonic history.'. . . The intricate weaving of voices, theoretical debates, and archival evidence forms a dazzling experience that immerses the reader in multiple interpretations alongside historical facts without devolving into a postmodern navel-gazing or trite observations on relativism and subjectivity. . . . it is a must read for any historian working on narrative forms as method. It is also worth picking up for no other reason than being a superbly written page-turner."-- "Historical Geography"

"The Singer's Needle is required reading for anybody interested in the history of Panama and the role that places like Panama have played in the history of Latin America and the world."-- "Hispanic American Historical Review"

"The Singer's Needle is a real page-turner--in fact, it's a path-breaker. Reading Vierba's unusual book is like playing hopscotch as you skid between its heterogeneous elements. The skill and artistry involved in sliding the different forms of writing and different voices on top of one another, and the intimate tone achieved, is astonishingly refreshing."-- "Michael Taussig, Columbia University"

"The Singer's Needle is a stunning achievement: Imagine if Foucault had studied Panamá and written as clearly and compellingly as Camus. Immersing himself in the social, political, economic, and cultural history of twentieth-century Panamá, Vierba combines careful and creative archival research, sophisticated theory, and compelling storytelling. His book is an extraordinary work of history, about both what happened in the past and what it means to think and write about it today. Historians of other places and times will marvel at, and learn from, Vierba's bold and brilliant blend of scholarship and art."-- "James Goodman, Rutgers University"

About the Author

Ezer Vierba is an instructor in the writing program at Harvard University.