a live puzzling out of complex matters
STORIES OF THE PRESENT WAR
a live puzzling out of complex matters
This site is an online performance space and archive for Stories of the Present War, a durational performance project by Becka McFadden and Beautiful Confusion Collective, based on a collection of family letters from the 1940s.
HOW IT GOT STARTED
Stories of the Present War is inspired by a collection of letters written by my grandparents during and immediately before the United States entered WWII. Discovering these letters by accident, in my mother’s garage, I began reading and re-reading them at a time when I found myself increasingly distressed and anxious about current geopolitical events - Brexit, Trump, climate change, and now COVID-19 - all communicated via a relentless 24-hour news cycle. In this project, which takes the form of short encounters with individual letters and durational ruminations involving the whole archive, I look to the letters for historical perspective and insight into what it was like to live in a time of global conflict. At the same time, and on a more personal level, the discovery of the letters brought me into close contact with my grandparents’ relationship and the bold decisions of their youth that sometimes feel irreconcilable with the adults I knew.
The title of the project comes from a letter in which my grandmother described a film she had seen as “a story of the present war”. I’ve made it plural here to express the multiplicity of wars we are always waging in one way or another, in the multiplicity of presents that are our lives, individually and collectively. There’s lots to think about here.
Liveness is at the centre of the project and all the material archived and streamed come from live, unrehearsed sessions of puzzling. I invite you to join me as I sift through my own experiences and those of my grandparents. Let’s see what emerges.
HOW TO USE THIS SITE
podcast and blog
Listen to our archive of live letter readings and associated musings here. You can find a blog entry with a live write transcript and photos to accompany each recording. We recommend you listen first and then read. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for live readings. All live content will eventually end up here too.
19. 10. 1945 / 29. 10. 2024
First letter in a l-o-n-g time. A typed letter, from Jack, in which he hyphenates the letters of words for e-m-p-h-a-s-i-s: oh b-a-b-y!...
Episode 2.16 - Everything's up to date in Kansas City
photo: Paul Wade Today's letter features an enclosure, which is always exciting. Specifically, we had some Filipino pesos issued by the...
Episode 2.15 - The Natives and Industry
photo: Becka McFadden I am not someone who enjoys anything in the vicinity of camping. One summer, however, I wanted to attend a theatre...
Episode 2.14 - In this life you never can tell
photo: Paul Wade We had a little technical glitch yesterday, as a result of which I've now read this letter twice before writing this....
Episode 2.13 - Any jeweller will do
photo: Becka McFadden & Paul Wade Today's letter read a bit like an inventory, of which more presently. First, though, I'm struck by how...
Episode 2.12 - All my correspondence is in bad shape
photo: Paul Wade So tonight's was a pleasant little letter. After the high emotion of the last few, there's not a great deal going on...
Episode 2.11 - We went into this thing together
photo: Paul Wade Recently I've been thinking about who, what and how we commend. I am struck by the contrast in my grandparents' letters...
Episode 2.10 - It's a memorable day
photo: Paul Wade So I have a confession to make. I took a peak at today's letter before reading it. I had decided to make a Manhattan as...
Episode 2.9 - A shopping expedition in a world at peace
photo: Paul Wade So I found the missing letter. It's dated April 30th, postmarked 1 May. As hypothesised previously, it was a relocation...
Episode 2.8 - A hell of a writer's cramp
Photo: Paul Wade Well, so that was a letter. I still have no idea how to explain the jump from 27 April to 7 May, but hey ho. Maybe...
Episode 2.7 - Wish I honestly felt that unconcerned
photo: Paul Wade So here we are, with a special bullbat hour edition. I wonder if Jack was already saying "bullbat hour" in 1942 or if...
Episode 2.6 - Without a letter from you, I'm lost
photo: Paul Wade It is gloriously sunny today. I am sitting with the sun streaming onto my back and it is an absolutely lovely feeling....
Episode 2.5 - I should never bring my troubles
Photo: Paul Wade "What else could bring back a world and an individual's role within it so directly, so intensely, so plainly and so...
Episode 2.4 - Sick at heart, disgusted and mighty disappointed
What follows is a transcript and photos from a live blog in response to episode 4, series 2. photo: Paul Wade Today's letter started with...
Episode 2.3 - Every piece in its own little groove
What follows is a transcript and photos from a live blog in response to episode 3, series 2. photo: Paul Wade Here's a framing thought...
Episode 2.2 - We can double our money
What follows are photos and a live writing transcript in response to Letter 2, series 2. So tonight I discovered that my grandfather had...
Episode 2.1 - My, my.
What follows are photos and a live writing transcript in response to Letter 1, series 2. I am so struck in reading this letter, perhaps...
Episode 1.7 - What we saw is a military secret
What follows are photos and a live writing transcript in response to Letter 7. So this letter is very much an account of his Sunday. It's...
Episode 1.6 - Not worth his salt
The following are photos and a live writing transcript in response to Episode 1.6 I love the picture of home that emerges from this...
Episode 1.5 - Definitely on the shady side
The following are photos and a live writing transcript in response to Episode 1.5 Darlin’! Today's letter is a sheet of American A3. It...