A farewell to Aragorn! by La Mauvaise Herbe

translated from French from La Mauvaise Herbe vol.19, Fall 2020
https://mauvaiseherbe.noblogs.org/post/2020/12/07/la-mauvaise-herbe-vol-19/

We did not know Aragorn! personally, but it is undeniable that all the energy he devoted to the anarchist milieu was felt among us. It initiated and supported projects that have come to be of common usage, such as The Anarchist Library and anarchistnews; or Little Black Cart and Black Seed with which we enjoyed exchanging publications and redistributing, and which despite the threats and attacks of a cabal of demagogues who think they're the high priests of the Holy Insurrection, have had the courage to tackle unpleasant questions that have always been staring us in the face, whether we like it or not. They have been important distributors for less conformist tendencies, closer to deep ecology, as well as egoist, anti-colonial and artistic explorations. In this regard, their publications have brought a fresh impetus to discussions.

Although Aragorn! did a great deal to help disseminate the writings of others, over the years he also contributed several inspiring texts himself, venturing off the beaten paths. It is with sadness that we learned he would no longer write. He is one of those rare voices that laugh and sow doubt when it fails us.

This excerpt we are sharing with you is taken from a longer piece entitled Locating An Indigenous Anarchism, originally published in 2005 in Green Anarchy and more recently in the last and final issue of Black Seed. A few words who fittingly resurge in an era where we seem to easily want to believe that our relationship with the world can be summed up through political and identity posturing and where "the form that anarchist criticism has taken about events in the world is more useful in shaping an understanding of what real anarchists believe than what the world is."

Farewell Aragorn! May your laughter mingle with that of your ancestors.

(followed by a french translation of Anarchist in spirit vs. Anarchist in word)

There are 6 Comments

It's kinda cool that I could be part of his (online) funeral, with this meme I did. People I mostly never met (that'd I'd largely prefer over these 2-3 spooky persons I've actually met) but are only convening through mutually shared views and sensibilities, perhaps even a level of common past experiences, I would hope!

I didn't agree with everything about him, but that's fine. I digged his cynical humor and pretty sure I would have had a lot of fun fooling around with him in person. Too bad I was too shy to get to the Bay earlier... Sez a lot about enjoying some people's presence while they're still alive.

I would have loved to see his reactions to covid and the uprisings for black lives. Gone too soon RIP.

It will be a year ago on Feb 13, that Aragorn ! passed away. Maybe anews will have a special memorial article or something?

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