tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111268153034999272.post794877876169174959..comments2024-01-15T19:42:35.437-08:00Comments on The Secret Archives of the Alliterati: Writing and Cultural NormsMatthew Delmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11452378192874048547noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111268153034999272.post-20572212548999567972010-07-30T11:58:32.252-07:002010-07-30T11:58:32.252-07:00Not 100% sure if I can think of one-- nothing is c...Not 100% sure if I can think of one-- nothing is coming to mind immediately, and the library in my brain requires visual stimulus to recall the books I've read (I need to look at my bookshelves). But one of the big things I love about reading is the culture-- it brings it alive for me. <br /><br />Which is part of why I love culture so much, because I love reading.L. T. Hosthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12448176940211118898noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111268153034999272.post-8425498803822251562010-07-30T07:40:48.231-07:002010-07-30T07:40:48.231-07:00So what's the final theory I have to put out t...<i>So what's the final theory I have to put out there? It's two-fold, really. Be mindful of your perspective when you're writing; are you advocating a particular type of culture over another? Or are you simply telling a story with the most objective stance you can possibly take.</i><br /><br />I think that the theory is more complicated in implementation, partly because you also mention that fact that we are all products of the culture we are raised in. And it's also simplifying the idea that we're all "advocating a viewpoint" in our writing --which, of course, is different from writing based upon one's home culture, or based upon one's life experiences. <br /><br />For instance, if I write about a Vietnamese-American family, I'm not necessarily "advocating" for my community, but writing about it. And the story should not be used as "a factual piece of evidence" -- aka if the father in the story is strict, then *all* Vietnamese fathers must be strict-- but as a piece of individual art that reflects one's personal, subjective experience. To look at a piece of writing as something completely representative of a people and/or culture can be very damaging. It's also a conflict that comes up with a lot of minority writers too: where if we write something about our community, then our people will give us flak if we don't "represent" in a way that is beneficial to us. Because, of course, the dominant culture will judge our work not in itself but upon the whole community. That's not the writer's fault or their home community's fault, but a sign of systematic prejudice that marginalized peoples have to deal with.<br /><br />Also I certainly think that all authors write based off their on experiences in life, but the reasoning behind their writing choices are not necessarily conscious 100% of the time. And it's hard if you are worried about writing with any kind of "bias" (and not just for culture or race, but for gender, sex, class, physical ability, size, and faith), because then where does the line between telling a story and preaching lie? <br /><br />I suppose what I mean is that there are certain types of writing where the message is intentional and there are those that are not. What the writer should be aware of, then, is what unintentional messages they are sending (because those could be the damaging ones).<br /><br />-Ay-leenAy-leen the Peacemakerhttp://beyondvictoriana.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111268153034999272.post-58177396897674568482010-07-28T11:25:01.135-07:002010-07-28T11:25:01.135-07:00When I read Lloyd Alexander's Westmark trylogy...When I read Lloyd Alexander's Westmark trylogy for the first time it altered the way I think about things more with the impact of the story than any preaching. It opened a lot of questions about war and morality that I hadn't thought about before but didn't necisarily answer them. To me at least that was ver effective, but there are other books out there with a more direct agenda that can get away with being more conclusive. (Uncle Tom's Cabin for example)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11271149538259398956noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111268153034999272.post-72783453887247827182010-07-28T09:58:37.244-07:002010-07-28T09:58:37.244-07:00Davin, that's interesting! I didn't know t...Davin, that's interesting! I didn't know that about Thai language. <br /><br />Of course we are all affected by the cultures we are immersed in, but some writers seem more conscious of it than others. I like books that point to paradoxes, conflicts, and political issues through striking scenes and writing that forces questions to be raised. Preachy writing in which the author is trying to tell you what the right answer is... that's old-fashioned and very much a product of imperialist culture, I believe. <br /><br />But writing that sheds light on real problems and leaves all the chaos open to the reader's interpretation (yet aesthetically composed) is moving and stimulating.Jean Michelle Miernikhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08971882597502010124noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111268153034999272.post-80104546838678746812010-07-28T08:56:17.939-07:002010-07-28T08:56:17.939-07:00I've been promoting this book all over the pla...I've been promoting this book all over the place, but I really liked Kazuo Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go. The entire time I was reading the book, I felt like nothing was happening. Then, when I got to the end, all of the emotion of the entire story seemed to finally combine in a way that was very moving. Ishiguro is a British writer, and I think there is a hint of British esthetic in there--moreso in his earlier book Remains of the Day. I actually started reading him only because I'm a huge fan of Japanese literature, and I was curious to see if he possessed some of the same characteristics I like from the purely Japanese writers.<br /><br />Myself, I try to be as objective as I can be, but I realize that growing up in a Thai-American culture has affected the way I sense things. The Thai language is also onomatopoetic, and I think that affects my language choices.Davin Malasarnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09385823575081492949noreply@blogger.com