In our village, a man has been formally shunned by order of the authorities. That was many years ago, and he is now old. His name was erased from the public monuments. There is a rough-gouged gap in the list of donors carved in our hospital’s waiting-room wall. His wives have other husbands now; his children, other names. No one remembers the cause for which he was shunned. The omitted man himself is vague about it, no longer knows if he committed any particular acts, or none. He has … [Read more...]