Franchesca Viaud

I expect you would be surprised that your death affected me so much that I spoke at two services for you, that I am writing about you now. We were friends, but we had not stayed in touch. So, it surprises me too. But you were a friend to me during a difficult time. —from Sejal Shah’s “You Know You Can’t Help It, Who You Are,” Volume 66, Issue 1 (Spring 2025) Tell us about one of the first pieces you wrote.

Bertram Bracht’s luck changed for the better exactly twenty-four hours and ten minutes before the American immigration authorities boarded the good ship Betrüger to decide which passengers would be admitted to the United States and which sent back to their perilous homelands.

1. Gather artifacts / remnants of home / an altar: a black & white photograph: ancestors on the beach in their homeland movie star smiles and ‘40s swim suits / froth licking ankles a seashell / a diamond ring a pumice stone / a key without a lock —from "How To Cure Homesickness," Volume 65, Issue 4 (Winter 2024) What role does language play in resisting colonialism and precipitating liberation? How does your piece engage with this question?