Claudia Rankine's 'Triage' Explores Grief, Friendship, and Political Paralysis

Key facts

• Claudia Rankine's new book 'Triage' is her first publication since concluding her 'American' trilogy.
• The book is a confessional mix of prose and poetry, continuing her exploration of personal and political trauma.
• The narrative centers on a poet reflecting on her estranged friendship with a theorist, a character drawn from the late Lauren Berlant.
• The theorist is described as Palestinian, and the book references the narrator's refusal to host a couple fleeing Gaza.
• The book opens with the theorist at a lecture, confessing a desire to throw themselves in front of a speeding car.
• The narrator has retreated into quietude, symbolized by her fixation on couches, while the theorist remains publicly vocal.
• The book addresses themes of 'toomuchness'—the overwhelming awareness of ongoing violence—and the tension between action and inaction.
• The book includes a disclaimer that any resemblance to actual persons is coincidental 'unless it isn't,' referencing real figures like Judith Butler and Kevin Quashie.