Seeing others. Seeing us.

ABSTRACT Written in the present continuous tense, Seeing Others is a lucid analysis of contemporary American society. In contrast to a widespread gloominess about the future, this is a declaration of hope and a call for action: change the story to change history. From Hollywood movies to artistic practice, from daily routines to popular culture, a dense series of examples illustrates how narratives can be means to create more inclusive and equal societies. I will focus here on some of the book’s present continuous tenses and put them into conversation with examples and stories from my recent experience, mostly spanning a few weeks while I was reading the book. Delving into my own ordinary life stories, I intend to illustrate the “superpowers” of the book as a creator of shared meaning across national and cultural contexts. As an instrument of “ordinary universalism”.