Most people have a story to tell about a remarkable coincidence that in some instances changed the course of their lives. These uncanny occurrences have been variously interpreted as evidence of divine influence, fate, or the collective unconscious. Less common are explanations that explore the social situations and personal preoccupations of the individuals who place the most weight on coincidences. Drawing on a variety of coincidence stories, renowned anthropologist Michael Jackson builds a case for seeing them as allegories of separation and loss—revealing the hope of repairing sundered lives, reconnecting estranged friends, reuniting distant kin, closing the gap between people and their gods, and achieving a sense of emotional and social connectedness with others in a fragmented world.
Michael Jackson is an anthropologist, poet, and fiction writer. He teaches at Harvard Divinity School, and his most recent books include Critique of Identity Thinking, The Paper Nautilus, and The Work of Art.
"In Coincidences, Michael Jackson has produced an impassioned and wonderfully written essay that weaves strands of narrative and philosophical reflection into a powerful and seamless tapestry that underscores a central theme of human being—its irrepressible ambiguity." ––Paul Stoller, author of Yaya's Story: The Quest for Well-Being in the World
"Michael Jackson elegantly combines analysis, memoir, and literary sensibilities to create a vibrant and exciting book about coincidence and its ramifications in human life. An extraordinary achievement that displays the full range of Jackson's flair as a thinker and a writer."––Hans Lucht, Senior Researcher, Danish Institute for International Studies
224 pp.6 x 9
9780520379961$34.95|£30.00Paper
Apr 2021