violence, urbanity

Urbanity is a violence. The town spreads with one violence after another. Its equilibrium is violence. In the Creole city, the violence hits harder than elsewhere. First, because around her, murder (slavery, colonialism, racism) prevails, but especially because this city, without the factories, without the industries with which to absorb the new influx, is empty. It attracts without proposing anything besides its resistance -- like Fort-de-France did after Saint-Pierre was wiped out. The Quarter of Texaco is born of violence. So why be astonished at its scars, its warpaint?

THE URBAN PLANNER’S NOTES TO THE WORD SCRATCHER
FILE NO. 6. SHEET XVIII.
1987. SCHOELCHER LIBRARY.

- Patrick Chamoiseau, pg. 148, Texaco, trans. Rejouis & Vinokurov