纽约客近年好文集锦文学艺术4

1、HomeFiresHomeFiresBYGEORGEPACKERBYGEORGEPACKEREverywarisironicbecauseeverywarisworsethanexpected,PaulFussellwrotein“TheGreatWarandModernMemoiclassicstudyoftheEnglishliteratureoftheFirstWorldWar.theGreatWarwasmoreironicthananybeforeorsince.Theancientveritiesofhonorandglorywerestillstandingin1914whenE

2、ngland?ssoldier-poetsmarchedofftofightinFrance.Thoseyoungmenbecamemodernthroughtheexperienceoftrenchwarfare,ifnotintheformstheyusedtodescribeit.ItwasYeats,Pound,Eliot,Joyce,andLawrencewhoinventedliterarymodernismwhilesittingoutthewar.RobertGraves,SiegfriedSassoon,EdmundBlunden,IsaacRosenberg,andWilf

3、redOwenwhoallfoughtinthetrenchesand,inthelasttwocases,diedthereremainedtiedtotheconventionsofthenineteenthcenturywhiletryingtoconveytheunprecedentedhorrorofindustrialwarfare,aconditionofexistencesomurderousandabsurdthataromanticorheroicattitudebecameimpossible.Theessenceofmodernunderstandingisirony,

4、Fussellargued,anditwasbornontheWesternFront.Fussellwasn?twrongabouttheGreatWar,but,inhisinsistenceitsnewness,heunderestimatedthestayingpowerofmilitaryforeachgeneration.FussellcitedanewspaperstoryaboutaLondonmanwhokilledhimselfoutofconcernthathemightnotbeacceptedforserviceintheGreatWar,andnoted,forbe

5、arcondescendingtotheeagerlinesattherecruitingstationsorsmilingatnewslikethis.Butinthesummerof1968TimO?Brien,atwenty-one-year-oldinasmallMinnesotatown,aliberalsupporterofEugeneMcCarthyandanopponentofthewarinVietnam,submittedhimselfforinductionintotheUnitedStatesArmy.O?Briencouldn?tbringhimself“toupse

6、tapeculiarbetweentheorderIknew,thepeopleIknew,andmyownprivateworld,hewrote,in“IfIDieinaCombatZone,his1973Vietnammemoir.ItwasnotjustthatIvaluedthatorder.Ialsofeareditsoppositeinevitablechaos,censure,embarrassment,endofeverythingthathadhappenedinmylife,theendofitall.WasO?Brien?sfearofdishonorentirelyd

7、ifferentfromthethatdroveaforty-nine-year-oldmantothrowhimselfunderavanin1914?OrfromthethinkingthatledBrianTurnertovolunteerfortheArmyin1998andgoontoserveasaninfantryteamleaderintheinfantrybecauseatsomepointinthehero?slifetheheroissupposedtosayIswear,Turnerwritesinhismemoir,asaForeignCountry(Jonathan

8、Cape),publishedearlierthintheUnitedKingdomandforthcomingfromNortonhere.IraisedmyhandandsaidthewordsbecauseIwould?vebeenashamedintheyearstocomeifIhadn?t,evenifitdidn?tmakesense,evenifnobodyIcaredabouteverthoughtaboutit,evenifalltheveteransinmyfamilyneversaidaword,oreveniftheydid,saying,Itscool,Brian,

9、itdoesntmeanathing,ttheuniformdoesntmakethemanre?KevinPowers,whojoinedtheArmyoutofhighschoolandendedupasamachinegunnerinthesameregionofIraqasTurner:IhadbytheninferredthatthemilitarywaswhereapersonwenttodevelopthequalitiesthatIhadcometoadmireinmyfather,myuncle,andbothofmygrandfathers.Theclich,6nmycas

10、e,wastrue:Ithoughtthatthearmywould,makemeaman.?requotes:suggestFussell?swisedpirony,buttheyweren?tenoughtokeepPowershome.EverygenerationhastodiscoverwhatFussellcalledthe“hopeabridgedthatwaitssomewherebeyondtherecruitingoffice.ForAmericans,thisexperiencehasbeenanoverwhelminglymaleone,recordedinlitera

11、turewrittenbymen,butthatwillchangeaswomensuchasKaylaWilliams,theauthoroftwoIraqmemoirsgoofftocombatzones.Soldierswhosetouttowritethestoryoftheirwaralsohavetonavigateaminefieldofclichs:allofthemmoreorlesstruebutopentoqualification;manysowedlongbeforethesoldierswereeverdeployed,becauseeverywarislikeev

12、eryotherwar.That?soneofthem.Warishellisanother.Warbeginsin川usionandendsinbloodandtears.Soldiersgotowarfortheircountry?scauseandwindupbadlandsofnorthwesternIraq?Iesigneerandjoinedthefightingforoneanother.Soldiersaredreamers(Sassoonsaidthat).Noonereturnsfromwarthesamepersonwhowent.Waropensanunbridgeab

13、legapbetweensoldiersandcivilians.There?snotruthinwarjusteachsoldier?sexperience.“Youcantellatruewarstorybyitsabsoluteanduncompromisingallegiancetoobscenityandevil(frTellaTrueWarStory,InO?Brien?sstorycollection“TheThingsTheyCarried).IronyinmodernAmericanwarliteraturetakesmanyforms,andallrisktheoverfa

14、miliaritythattransformsstyleintoclich.TheybeginwithHemingway?srejection,in“AFarewelltoAithehigh,oldlanguage,hisinsistenceonconcreteness:nothingsacred,andthethingsthatwereglorioushadnogloryandthesacrificeswerelikethestockyardsatChicagoifnothingwasdonewiththemeatexcepttoburyit.Thereweremanywordsthatyo

15、ucouldnotstandtohearandfinallyonlythenamesofplaceshaddignity.Thestyleofunderstateddisillusionmentremainsuniversallyrecognizableandpervasivelyinfluentialinwarliterature.Vietnamgaveusanotherkindofdistancingblackhumor,satire,surrealismiofteninnovelsthatwerenotsetinVietnam,suchasVonnegut?sSlaughterhouse

16、ive.(Asimilarmoodsuffuses“M*A*S*H,amoviethatwasnominallyabouttheKoreanWarTimO?Brien?sVietnamwritingMsmemoir,theinterlockingstoriesin“TheThingsTheyCarried,and,especially,“GoingAfterCacciato一combinedHemingway?shardarprosewithoftenfantasticalincidents,suitedtoajunglewaragainstaninvisibleenemy.Thecharac

17、teristicvoiceofVietnamliteraturebecamethematter-of-factstatementofhallucinatoryevil,poisedbetweenhumorandhorror.It?sheardintheopeningparagraphof“GoingAfterCacciato“Therainfedfungusthatgrewinthemen?sbootsandsocks,andtheirsocksrotted,andtheirfeetturnedwhiteandsoftsothattheskincouldbescrapedoffwithafin

18、gernail,andStinkHarriswokeupscreamingonenightwithaleechonhistongue.O?Brien?swork,liketheworkofothergreatwarwriters,makesviolenceinseparablefrompity.In“HowtoTellaTrueWarStory,“asoldierloseshisbestfriendatobooby-trappedartilleryshell,and,laterthatday,hemachine-gunsababywaterbuffalointhecruellestpossib

19、leway.Thenarratorreportsthatwheneverhetellsthisstorysomekindheartedolderwomanwillurgehimtomoveon.I?llpictureR0Kiley?sface,hisgrief,andI?llthink,YoudumbcoozeBecauseshewasn?tlistening.Itwasnawarstory.Itwasalovestory.Thisisn?tjustthesoldier?sloveforwarbuddies,intenseasthatattachmentcanbe.It?saredemptiv

20、eunderstandingoftheircapacityforgoodandevilboth,andofthewaythatwar,morethananyotherhumanendeavor,leavesthemnowheretohideThewarsinIraqandAfghanistanfullymeetFussell?sdescriptionoftheironic:theywereworsethanexpected.Bothbeganwithhubrisandfalsevictories,turnedintoprolongedstalemates,andfinallydeservedt

21、hebitternameofdefeat.TheshorthandforIraq,from“MissionAccomplished“toFalluja,AbuGhraib,civilthesurge,U.S.withdrawal,andtheongoingsectariankilling,isastoryofexplodedillusions.ThefirstwaveofliteraturebyAmericancombatantsintheselong,inconclusivewarshasbeguntoappearpoems,memoirs,shortstories,novels.Their

22、concernsarethesameasinallwarwriting:braveryandfear,thethinlinebetweensurvivalandbrutality,themaddeningunknowabilityoftheenemy,tenderness,brotherhood,alienationfromaformerselftheghostsofthepast,themisfitofhome.ButIraqwasalsodifferentfromotherAmericanwars.(Sofar,almostallthenewwarliteraturecomesfromIr

23、aq,perhapsbecausethereweren?tmanytroopsinAfghanistanuntil2021,antheminimumlagtimebetweendeploymentandpublicationseemstobearoundfiveyears.)Withoutadraft,withouttheslightestsacrificeaskedofadisengagedpublic,IraqputmorementaldistancebetweensoldiersandciviliansthananywarofitsdurationthatIcanthinkof.Thew

24、arinIraq,liketheoneinVietnam,wasn?tpopular;butthetroops,atleastnominally,werewildlyso.(Justwatchthecrowdatasportseventifsomeoneinuniformisaskedtostandandbeacknowledged.)Bothsidesoftherelationship,iftheywerebeinghonest,feltitsessentialfalseness.Atinynumberofvolunteerswentofftofight,oftentwoorthreetim

25、es,inawarandacountrythatseemedincomprehensible.Theyreturnedtoheroes?welcomesandaflickeringcuriosity.Becausehardlyanyonebackhomereallywantedtoknow,thecombatant?sstatusturnedintoamarkofotherness,ablessingandacurse.ThetitleofDavidFinkel?srecentbookaboutthestrugglesofsoldiersreturnedfromIraq,“ThankYoufo

26、rYourService,capturesallthebadfaithofacivilianpopulationthatviewsitselfasundeserving,andtheequivocalpositionofcelebratedwarriorswhodon?tmuchfeellikesaying,“You?rewelcome.Soit?snotsurprisingthatthenewwarliteratureisintenselyinterestedinthereturnhome.TheessentialsceneofFirstWorldWarwritingisthemasssla

27、ughterofthetrenches.InthearchetypalVietnamstory,agruntwhocanneverfindtheenemywalksintophysicalandmoralperil.InmuchofthewritingaboutIraq,themomentoftruthisareunionsceneatanairportoramilitarybasefamiliesholdingsigns,troopslookingfortheirlovedones,anuneasesinkingdeepintoeveryone.In“LetterComposedDuring

28、aLullintheFighting(Little,Brown),KevinPowers?sfirstcollectionofpoetry,publishedthismonth,themoodismeditativeandconvalescent,thepoet?smindreopeningafteragreatshock:andmwhomesotospeak./.ButIcan?tremember/howtobealive.ThenarratorofPowers?slyricalanddisturbingnovel“TheYellowBirappearedin2021)isfarfromwh

29、ole.ReturningfromIraqtoruralVirginia,PrivateJohnBartlestandsinhismother?senvelopinghugwhilestrangersaroundthemcalloutthanks:said,Oh,John,you?rehome,?Ididnotbelieveher.“TheYellowBirdshasafragmentaryqualitythat?ssuitedtoproseapoet;it?sbetteratevokinglandscapeandstatesoffeelingthanatsustainedpsychologi

30、calrealism.Thereareremarkableevocationsoftheuncanniness,eventhewonder,offighting:“Whenheringingofthefirstshotssubsided,weheardbullets,soundslikesmallripsintheair,reportsofriflesfromsomewherewecouldn?tsee.Iwasstruckbyakindoflethargy,inaweofthedecisivenessofeverysingleattenuatedmoment,observedinminute

31、detaileachslendermovingbranchandthenarrowbandsofsunlightcomingthroughtheleaves.Someonepulledmedowntotheorchardfloor.Whenaglibreporteraskswhatcombatfeelslike,acharactercomparesittothemomentjustbeforeacaraccident,whenyouknowit?sgoingtohappenandarehelplesstostopit.whatever,it?seithercomingorit?snot,“he

32、says,secondinacarwreck,exceptforhereitcanlastforgoddamndays.Whetherornotthefictionalsoldierislikelytohaveformulatedsuchathought,it?soneofthebestdistillationsofcombatI?veread.Backhome,Bartlefindsthat“everyonewantstoslapycbackandyoustarttowanttoburnthewholegoddamncountrydown,youwanttoburneverygoddamny

33、ellowribboninsight,andyoucan?texplainitbutit?sjust,like,Fuckyou,butthenyousigneduptogosoit?sallyourfault,really,becauseyouwentonpurpose,soyouareintheenddoublyfucked.PrivateBartle?shomecomingisanextremecase,buthisemotionsarenot.Journalistsandhistorianshavetodistortwar:inordertofindtheplotcausation,se

34、quence,meaningtheymakewarmoreintelligiblethanitreallyis.Intheliteraturebyveterans,therearevirtuallynopoliticsorpolemics,instarkcontrasttothetendentiouswayinwhichmostAmericans,especiallythosefarthestremovedfromthefighting,discussedIraq.Thisnewwritingtakesthewar,thoughnotitsterriblecost,asagiven.Inste

35、adofacoherentexplanatorynarrative,itpresentsuswithfragments;forexample,“DusttoDust,a2021memoirbyBenjaminBusch,aformerMarineCorpscaptainandanactor,isorganizednotchronologicallybutaroundcertainmaterialsmetal,bone,blood,ash.Fragmentsareperhapsthemosthonestliteraryformavailabletowriterswhofoughtsorecent

36、ly.Theirworklackscontext,butitgetsclosertothelivedexperienceofwarthanalmostanyjournalism.Itdealsinparticulars,whichiswheretheheightenedalertnessofcombatantshastoremain,andit?smorelikelytonoticethings.Tomostforeignobservers,thelandscapeofIraqisrelentlesslyemptyandugly,likeaphysicalextensionofthecount

37、ry?straumaButinthepoetryandtheproseofsoldiersandmarinesthedesertcomestolifewithbirdsongandothernoises,themoonlitsandbreedsdreamsandhallucinations.LikeKevinPowers,BrianTurnerisapoet.He?stheIsaacRosenbergoftheIraqWar;romanticbydisposition,heresortstosurrealistimageryinordertoholdoutamarginofhumansympa

38、thyundertheextremepressureofwar.HispoemscollectedinHere,Bulletand“PhankeepNreturningtothemostbrutalsituations:asuicidecarbombinginaMosultrafficcircle,theexecutionoffiftyIraqisoldierstravellingonminibuses,thetortureofIraqiprisonersbyAmericanM.P.s.Butviolencethatbeginsasfactminglesbymetaphorwithdreams

39、eroticism,history,classicalpoetry,untilthebordersbetweenindividualsandworldsmeltaway.“TheMutanabbiStreetBombingisaboutafamousoutdoorbookmarketinBaghdadthatwasrepeatedlyblownupbyinsurgents:Buildingscatchfire.Cafes.Stationeryshops.TheRenaissanceBookstore.Ahugecolumnofsmoke,ablackanvilheadplumingupward

40、,fueledbytheKitahal-Aghani,al-Isfahani?sBookofSongstheelegiesofKhansa,theexilepoetryofYoussefandal-Azzawi,religioustracts,manifestos,translationsofHomer,Shakespeare,Whitman,andNerudathesebook-eavescurlinthefire?sblue-tippedheat,andthelongcenturieshandeddownfromonepersontoanother,versebyverse,riseove

41、rBaghdad.Turnerhasatleastonetrulyastonishingpoem,AlA?immaBridge.Itdescribesanincidentthattookplacein2005,whenShiitereligiousprocessionacrossabridgeovertheTigrisinBaghdadturnedintoastampedewiththerumorofasuicidebomber,andalmostathousandpeopleweretrampledtodeathordrowned.Inasinglesentencethatcascadeso

42、vertwenty-threefree-versestanzas,Turnerimaginesthosefalling,apregnantwomaninanabaya,ayoungwomanfromMosul,andthevisionopensuptoencompassfiguresfromIraqihistorygoingbacktoBabylon,Scheherazade“mad图peechlessbythescaleofwar,ghostswokenfromtheirsleep,astheTigrisfills“withbricksfromAbuGhraib,burningvehicle

43、s,razorwire,rubble,Ieverykind:givedaisiesandhyacinthstothisimpossiblemoment,flowerstostandforthelipsunabletokissthem,eachintheirownbrightbeauty,flowersthatmaylightthedarkness,astheymarchdeeperintotheearth.ItisimprobableandmovingthatanAmericansoldiershouldwriteapoemofsuchgenerous,Whitmanesquespiritab

44、outthisoneIraqidisaster.ThewarkeptAmericansandIraqisfarapart,ajeachsidelearnedtofearanddistrusttheother.HadWhores,asthetitleofoneIraqWarstorybluntlyputsitinIraqtheyhadblastwallsandbodyarmor.ItwaspossibleforBritishTommiestopreservearomanticvisionofFrance,forAmericangruntstofindVietnamalluring,butvery

45、fewAmericantroopsfellinlovewithIraq.Turneristheraresoldier-writerwhotakesadeepinterestinIraqistheirlanguageandliterature,theirpast,theirdailydoings,theirinnerlives.Hismemoir,“MyLifeasaForeignCountry,openswithametaphorofthewriterasadroneaircraft,flyingatthirty-twothousandfeetoverhislife,“gatherinjhen

46、ecessaryintelligence,allthatIhavedone,allthatwehavedone,compressedintothedemarcationsannotatedinthemapbelow.Turner?ssympatheticimaginationtakesineventheIraqiinsurgentinMosulwhonearlykilledhimwitharocket-propelledgrenade.Maybeitisn?tthatit?ssodifficultcominghome,“Turnerwrites,“butthathomeisn?tabigeno

47、ughspaceforImustbringtoit.America,vastandlaidoutfromoneoceantoanother,isnotalargeenoughspacetocontainthewareachsoldierbringshome.Andevenifitcoulditdoesn?twantto.ThebestliteraryworkthusfarwrittenbyaveteranofAmerica?srecentwarsisPhilKlay?sRedeployment(PenguinPress),amasterlycollectionofshortstoriesabo

48、utwaranditspsychologicalconsequences.“Redeploymentismilitaryfor“return,“andKlay?sfictionpeelsbackeveryprettyfalsehiobself-delusionintheencounterbetweenveteransandthepeopleforwhomtheysupposedlyfought.Inthetitlestory,whichopensthebook,theunnamednarrator,backfromIraq,spotshiswifeinthewaitingcrowd,dress

49、edtopleasehimbutlookingsomehowunfamiliar:Imovedinandkissedher.Ifiguredthatwaswhwassupposedtodo.In“Bodies,a,marinewhosejobwasinMortuaryAffairs“processingthecorpsesofAmericansandIraqisalikesays,“ItwasanotherthreeweeksbeforeIgothoandeverybodythankedmeformyservice.Nobodyseemedtoknowexactlywhattheywereth

50、ankingmefor.Hevisgirlfriend,butthewarnowliesbetweenthem:shedoesn?twanthim,andhecan?ttellherthestorythat?sonhismind,worstburncaseweeverhad.Instead,hegivesadrunketoamanhemeetsinabarlaterthatnight.Whenhefinishes,themansays,“Irespectwhatyou?vebeenthrough.Thon:Itookasipofmybeer.Idon?twynutorespectwhatI?v

51、ebeenthrough,Isaid.Thatconfusedhim.“Whatdoyouwant?hesaid.Ididn?tknow.Wesatanddrankbeerforabit.Iwantyoutobedisgusted,In“PsychologicaOperations,thenarratorisanIraqvetofCopticChristiandescentwhoenrollsatAmherst.Hetakesacombativeinterestinanoutspokenblackclassmate-anewconverttoIslamandalmostcourtsherdis

52、likebytellingherhowheoncebroadcastsexualinsultsoverloudspeakerstocompelinsurgentsinFallujaoutoftheirhousessothatothermarinescouldshootthem.It?spartconfession,partargument,partseduction.Hecan?tdecidehowhewantsthegirltofeelabouthim:Ilookeddownatmyhands,thenbackupatZara.Ididn?tknowhowtotellherwhatcomin

53、ghomemeant.Theweirdthingwithbeingaveteran,atleastforme,isthatyoudofeelbetterthanmostpeople.Youriskedyourlifeforsomethingbiggerthanyourself.Howmanypeoplecansaythat?Youchosetoserve.Maybeyoudidn?tunderstandAmericanforeignpolicyarwhywewereatwar.Maybeyouneverwill.Butitdoesn?tmatter.Youheldupyourhandandsa

54、id,I?mwillingtodiefortheseworthlesscivilians.Atthesametime,though,youfeelsomehowless.Whathappene(whatIwasapartof,maybeitwastherightthing.Wewerefightingverybadpeople.Butitwasanuglything.Klay,aDartmouthgradwhoservedintheMarineCorpsinAnbarProvinceduringtheviolentmonthsofthesurge,in2007,isawriterwhohapp

55、enedtobeamarineyoucanimaginehimwritingwellaboutanything,notjustIraq.HisfictionisextremelyfunnyandabsoluteIsaid.lyserious,hiscontroloverlanguageandcharactersoassuredthatthearrayoffirst-personnarratorsinthesedozenstoriescombatgrunts,adesk-boundofficer,abeleagueredStateDepartmentofficial,aMarinechaplai

56、n-arealldistinctandpersuasive.Klaywriteswithapowerfulrestraintabouttheinversionofnormalrealitycalledcombat,itspermanenteffectsonbodiesandsouls,butthebeststoriesin“Redeploymentlookatwarfromaslightdistance.Thenarratorin“UnlessIt?saSuckingChestWound,“abattaliona(theingloriousjobofwritinguptheheroicsofo

57、thermarinesbeingnominatedformedals.Hefeelslikearealmarineonlywhenhereturnshomeandbecomesacivilianagainhekeepshishairshortsothatpeoplewillknow.(Vietnamvetsgrewtheirhairlongtoblendin.)HemeetsawomanatN.Y.U.whoassumesthathehaspost-traumaticstressdisorder:Idon?thavePTSD,butIguessherthinkingthatIdidispart

58、oftheweirdpedestalvetsareonnow.Eitherway,Ididn?tcontradicther.JustaneverwriteaboutgloryandsacrificeintheoldwayaftertheFirstWorldWar,thecurrentgenerationcanbeironicabouttheimageofthepsychologicallydamagedvetintroducedintotheculturewithfearandreverencebyVietnam.Theadjutantisoneamongmanytroopstheirnumb

59、ersgrewovertimewhospenttheirwaralmostentirelywithintheconfinesofanAmericanbase.Theywereknown,derisively,asFobbits,fromForwardOperatingBase(asatiricalnovelofthattitlebyaformerArmyjournalistnamedDavidAbramscameoutin2021),andtheyhavearelationtocombattroopssimilartothatofcivilianstoallveteranstheguilt,t

60、heawe,theenvy,therelief.Backhome,theadjutantfindsthathemissesnotIraqitselfbut“theideaofIraqallmycivilianfriendsimaginewhentheysaythword,anIraqf川edwithhonorandviolence,anIraqIcan?thelpfeelingIshouldhaveexperiencedbutdidn?tthroughmyownstupidfault.Klay,whowasapufbairsofficerinAnbararelativelysafejobina