June 13, 2005
My image
Don’t laugh, but I really like what Yoko Ono has to say about feminism, aging, wifedom and just life in general in this interview. It also recalls a few lines from her “Grapefruit” poems, with their “Imagine a raindrop”, imagine imagine theme. Which went on to be the song “Imagine” of course. But I just made the connection now that this idea of “imagine” is very much a Japanese product. In Japan, the English world “imagine” has a certain resonance. People are often reluctant to think outside their own experience, and “imagine” is this sort of magical buzzword that allows anyone creative freedom. If we are setting up a role-play and everyone was a bit confused, all it took was one person to say to me, “Imagine?” and I’d nod. And then they’d all say “Ah so so so” and the scene would flow. They also say it differently than we do- it’s like “image-in” rather than “imaa-gin” and when they speak of their own opinion or impression of something, they will say “My image is…”. There is a certain profundity to Japanese imaginings, one that we would be more inclined to give to realised visions. Part of this is because it takes such effort to get them, whereas we take it for granted. Also, in Japan, dreams unrealised are just sort of accepted as they are, and moreso precious for that.
Lionel Shriver, Orange Prize Winner, writes about how uncomfortable women are with naked ambition. I wasn’t prepared to like what she said. I personally find naked ambition tacky, and the reason most of this world is governed by scumbags. Anyone who feels they are entirely deserving of an honour will lack the humility to serve that honour respectfully. There was an article by Oliver James in the Observer Magazine yesterday about “imposter syndrome”, when a person “get[s] good exam results or do well at sport or art, they do not think of themselves as bright or creative and believe they have simply fooled people. They put subsequent professional success down to luck, contacts or having to work harder than others, rather than to their own mental capacities.” Apparently women are more likely to take on their neurosis than men, having a natural affinity for neuroses in general I believe, and being a bit less arrogant. I understand this. I am still waiting to hear from my graduate program to let me know I was admitted by an error, and am not in fact eligible to attend. I liked Shriver’s take on this though. First of all, she was talking about a contest. I think in a contest, it’s perfectly acceptable to want to win. That’s probably the point. In an election, however, a ride up a career ladder, or for a limited place in a grad program, I think one’s reasons for wanting to be there have to be more substantial than sheer ambition and you can’t just expect that you deserve it. An inflated sense of entitlement is not attractive. Perhaps I am overtly idealistic about this, but I think someone has to be. There needs to be a balance to what Oliver James talks about, and Shriver prescribes that. She writes of “acting like a man” when she admitted her ambition, and then of her competitors who “acted like women” when they shook her hand afterwards in congratulations. Everyone needs a bit of both. Ambition for the sake of ambition is deplorable, but humility for its own sake is not so admirable either.
Though Canadian Poet Wendy Morton’s ambition is a bit admirable. She barters poems for free flights.
June 12, 2005
New Sprint
I spent the entire weekend reading the newspaper and so. On the growing place for non-fiction in the world of creative writing. In books dubbed Eurocrime, continental slouths are all the rage. Living on the Seabed tells of losing first her husband then her daughter to cancer. I read an excerpt and found it really enlightening as to how you manage to have a life after tragedy. The excerpt is linked at the end of this article. On the rare perfect ending in a novel- he cites To The Lighthouse, which I agree with. On aliens in the arts throughout history. And I didn’t only read about books. On US sex offenders access to free Viagra. Tom Cruise is completely mental! I fear the Bob Geldof is losing it too. India Knight raises a good point:
Now, Bob is either a bona-fide saint or a slightly misguided person with a good heart and an alarmingly simplistic take on Africa, depending on your viewpoint. Either way, good on him, at least he’s trying. But I’m just wondering: if he can’t afford to have bands that aren’t stellarly successful, what exactly is he doing on the bill?
And finally, a brilliant profile of eight African women and their expectations of the G8 summit.
And really, that’s all I’ve done. Newspapers. Not that I’m complaining. Just apologising for being slightly boring.
June 10, 2005
Running out of good times
In the Guardian, the 25 most depressing songs ever. On the publishing process by a a guy “who never really meant to become an author anyway.” Read the Orange Short Prize winner. I am eager to read Joan Didion’s new book on grief.
I am getting married one week from tomorrow. I am determined to enjoy this week, as many Japanese housewives informed me this year that “before the wedding is the only good time in the marriage.” Good time is running out I guess. Yesterday we went to the Fleetwood Museum to learn about Mariners! It was really great actually. We had plans to go to cheap curry night at Wetherspoons, but I was informed around 7:00 that plans had changed. I was whisked away in a taxi (such extravagance) for a delightfully romantic meal with proper accoutrements a bottle of wine and chocolate cake for dessert. After dinner we walked along to the beach and watched the sun fall in the sea, which was beautiful and then Stuart asked me to marry him, as he really hadn’t yet. Fortunately, I said yes. It was lovely! Then we came home and watched “Mean Girls” which was such a quality film, and good for the soul as I hadn’t watched a teen comedy in ages.
June 8, 2005
book learnin'
I do envy those who came of age in the 1970s, which was a golden age of young adult fiction and produced works as Forever by Judy Blume, profiled here. Her books were just beginning to be dated by the time I got to them (“Are You There God It’s me Margaret” and her sanitary napkin belts??!!) but even still today, certain elements of them are timeless and the best part is that she wrote books for boys and girls, young children and teenagers. I think many liberal adults today would give credit for their thinking to the quality YA fiction they read in adolescence, which went to great lengths to break down stereotypes and challenge societal norms. Judy Blume explains, “The 70s was a much more open decade in America,” she says. “Forever was used in several school programmes then, helping to spur discussions of sexual responsibility. This would never happen today.” Apparently, however, at the time of its release Margaret Drabble gave “Forever” a negative review!
Canadian teachers are to begin covering the Asian experience in World War Two with much more emphasis, inspired by a trip to China and learning of Japanese atrocities committed there. This is a positive thing, as my Asian education was practically nil for most of my history classes. The same could be said of every continent save Europe really. Before I lived in Asia, I wasn’t even particularly bothered about that. It was a serious case of “us and them” and I believed, however unconsciously, that “their” history was more or less incidental to my own. (I don’t profess to be in the majority with this limited way of thinking but still, I couldn’t have been the only one). History must be taught with a far more global perspective, and teach students the fascinating ways in which an incident in one country echoes around the world. The lines of experience, looping around the globe give one a sense of responsibility for the world around them and a real sense of connectedness. I realise history is very big and two years of high school history classes are minute, but perhaps the mandatory courses should be extended another year. I hope a sense of balance is attempted in the new lessons though. There is more to 20th century Asian history than Nanking.
June 7, 2005
We need to talk about tiaras
Lionel Shriver has won The Orange Prize. “We Need to Talk About Kevin” is never in the library, which must be a good sign but means I haven’t read it. I intend to, though I don’t know how much I will love it. Yes, it’s spurred on dialogue about women and motherhood, but that dialogue is rehashed and often counter-productive. Still doesn’t keep it from being a good read however. I will have to wait and see. Zoe Williams has a take on the claim that bibles are carrying the MRSA superbug.
Now reading “The Heart of the Matter” by Graham Greene, which is not based on the Don Henley song but might be just as good. I also got “The Best of McSweeneys” from the library. (I am currently addicted to public libraries). I am really enjoying it. I am incapable of reading works of any length online, which is why I just gloss over the stories on McSweeneys. But I reread the same stories in the book, and it was a completely different experience. I especially enjoyed the stories by Zadie Smith and Amanda Davis. And a note that “Birds of the Air” by Alice Thomas Ellis was really excellent.
Today I made a tiara for my wedding hair accessory. You can see it here at (of course) Now Doing. Who would ever have imagined I could be so crafty? In the photo, you can also see my messy room!
June 7, 2005
And Beyond…
It’s true. Yesterday we went beyond Preston! Who knew the world was so big?
June 6, 2005
A couple of things
Graydon Carter on outing Deep Throat. The Guardian’s Digested Read this week is rather hilarious- Naked Chef Jamie Oliver’s wife Jools Oliver’s new book on motherhood. I leafed through it this afternoon in WH Smith and its really not so far off the mark.
June 5, 2005
What was wrong with my love?
Songs and books can find each other by coincidence, and then be forever entwined. Whenever I hear “I’d Run Away” by the Jayhawks, I am back to Bob Geldof’s autobiography, “Is that it?,” which I read on an airplane listening to the Jayhawks on a mix tape. The book was written when he was dedicating things to Paula Yates, tragic lyrics, “what I had in mind was wrong.” I fell in love with Soviet History, studying for a first year European History exam, and listening to “Winds of Change” by Scorpions, which in my mind is the official soundtrack to the Russian Revolution. And most recently, in April I read “Eleanor Rigby” by Douglas Coupland, which was marvelous. Was listening to “Get Along With You” by Kelis at the time, which could be the saddest song I’ve ever heard, and the loneliness in both works just gelled and they’re forever related in my mind.
June 3, 2005
Dinky tweet
More on the literary gender divide, but in children’s books. An article from The Guardian on “the aggressive marketing of books for young girls as this dinky, tweety area where boys are completely unwelcome”. India Knight goes one better in the article from a few months back, on how boys are disadvantaged by being cut off from good stuff like Jacqueline Wilson, on the basis of pinkified book covers. She also sings the praises of Judy Blume, so of course we’re on her side.
I picked up Budapest by Chico Buarque from the library yesterday. I think you can tell a book by it’s title. It looks wonderful. Wedding plans are going well, though transporting twenty four people to the beach photo shoot here in the land of no-transportation is our latest hurdle. Also, bridal bouquets are extraordinarily expensive. We have reasoned that if you want to price any wedding item, take its actual value and multiply by four. Finally, today’s biggest surprise was Pickle Me This being quoted at Slate!
June 2, 2005
In the ghetto
My first response to reports like this is always anger. While women read literary-fiction by men and women both, men don’t really do the same, though as this article notes now at least they pretend to dabble in authoresses. I get uppity at such imbalances. However. My favourite book, of one of my many favourites, is Unless by Carol Shields. I think this book handles the state of being a woman and becoming a woman with such a poignant acuity, but I don’t think my boyfriend could appreciate this. He is one of the most brilliant people I know, but the storyline couldn’t hold him and he’d only be reading it out of acquiescence to me, and that doesn’t make him a bad person or a poor reader. I understand that, and I think he is not such an exception among men (in this area only of course). The same goes for my beloved Margarets Drabble and (some) Atwood. He did like Oryx and Crake- case in point. It’s a mixture of style and substance that separates the kind of books he loves from the sort I do. I think he could read them, and even admit their brilliance but that wouldn’t be fun for him, and then what’s the point of that really? There are many books that we do read together, and books that I recommend to him, knowing they have a certain Stuartness about them. Juniper Tree Burning was one of those books, about a woman and so plot-driven and furiously paced that he would have devoured it, even as so much of the story was about various states of womanness etc. A.S. Byatt bristles at “ghettoization”. I think that quality literary fiction is a ghettoised genre unto itself these days. Also, as good citizens/readers (which are often one and the same), all of us have an obligation to read important additions to the canon by men and women. But the fact is that most men are not going to pick women’s fiction up at leisure, and this is why recognition from institutions such as the Orange Prize really is important, to help get these books into the public eye.
In summation, I guess it would be good if Stuart loved “Unless”, but I understand why he doesn’t. And a man not loving a book doesn’t make it any less good.
A remaining question would be, why then are women able to read book by writers of either gender? Perhaps, is masculinity a more universal, less specialised condition, that even women can relate to to some extent? Perhaps, dare I say, there are not books being written about the state of being a man in the same volume as those about women? Or maybe there are, and I just haven’t read them, and therefore things are balanced afterall. Is there a masculine counter to “Unless” and it’s ilk? Please leave recommended titles as a comment if you think so.
