Contents
Introduction
Part I. The Syntax of the Is and Was
1. Crisis Ordinariness in the Historical Present
2. Hovering around History at the Restoring Honor Rally
3. Going with the Flow at the Rally to Restore Sanity
Part II. The Syntax of the Had Been
4. Trauma’s Imperfective Aspect
5. A Mosque That Won’t Scar
6. Beyoncé’s “Formation,” or the Storm Begins Again
Part III. The Syntax of the If, Then
7. Save the Subjunctive!
8. Bailing Out the Status Quo
9. A Missed Opportunity at the JFK Retrospective
10. No Counterfactuals for Dead Black Men
Conclusion
Notes
Bibliography
Index