In this podcast, Ohio State Department of History Professor Theodora Dragostinova and PhD student Chris Kinley speak to Kapka Kassabova, an award-winning poet, essayist and writer, about her most recent book, “Border: A Journey to the Edge of Europe” (Graywolf Press, 2017). Kassabova visited Ohio State in October 2019, speaking to students and faculty about her experiences traveling the border and capturing its spirit in her writing.

 

Reflecting on Europe “from the edge,” Kassabova captures the profound meaning of the border: “The center cannot hold, the center is cracking up, and so the periphery in a way becomes ever more relevant because the periphery is also the forefront. The periphery bears the brunt of the center's decisions, often carelessly taken decisions. And if you spend enough time on the periphery, you realize it's a center in itself. So it kind of turns that mainstream narrative, that official narrative of what's important and unimportant, what’s central, what's marginal, on its head. I prefer the periphery. The periphery doesn't lie.”

 

The podcast is available here. It was recorded as part of the Global Arts + Huanities Discovery Theme.