tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7912730.post4977978123904567626..comments2024-01-06T00:28:45.062+08:00Comments on Bibliobibuli: Absense of Asianness?bibliobibulihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16456636355933524132noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7912730.post-74525821561145478982007-11-09T12:32:00.000+08:002007-11-09T12:32:00.000+08:00haven't read "imaginary homelands" and now know i ...haven't read "imaginary homelands" and now know i must. when everything is done we must meet up and have a proper literary argue. i think sometimes i feel very lonely because i want to argue and argue stuff and there's no-one around to bounce thoughts off. <BR/><BR/>must stop thinking and blogging for a while to get some work done and some necessary housework!bibliobibulihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16456636355933524132noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7912730.post-24241774078563857182007-11-09T12:20:00.000+08:002007-11-09T12:20:00.000+08:00Thanks Sharon. 'Imaginary Homelands' is one of the...Thanks Sharon. 'Imaginary Homelands' is one of the essays I'm revising for my exam and I'd recommend everyone to read it. I suppose I was trying to draw a parallel there with choosing judges for an Asian prize. Would love to discuss more but will only be liberated tomorrow afternoon!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7912730.post-22339439018396904052007-11-09T11:42:00.000+08:002007-11-09T11:42:00.000+08:00those are wonderful quotes and so true. very many...those are wonderful quotes and so true. very many thanks for taking the time out for revision to post them. good luck with everything!bibliobibulihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16456636355933524132noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7912730.post-14014343295502555202007-11-09T11:39:00.000+08:002007-11-09T11:39:00.000+08:00Busy with exams and in the midst of revision but f...Busy with exams and in the midst of revision but felt compelled to share these words of Salman Rushdie from his essay, 'Imaginary Homelands':<BR/><BR/>'[A] book is not justified by its author's worthiness to write it, but by the quality of what has been written. There are terrible books that arise directly out of experience, and extraordinary imaginative feats dealing with themes which the author has been obliged to approach from the outside.'<BR/><BR/>And further:<BR/><BR/>'[We] are not willing to be excluded from any part of our heritage; which includes both a Bradford-born Indian kid's right to be treated as a full member of British society, and also the right of any member of this post-diaspora comunity to draw on its roots for its art, just as all the world's community of displaced writers has always done.'Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7912730.post-54286784720469257842007-11-09T06:41:00.000+08:002007-11-09T06:41:00.000+08:00Got the email too and we all know her name, don't ...Got the email too and we all know her name, don't we? Wish moonlighting journos had a little more guts. Nothing irks me more than, here's my piece, blah, blah, blah - don't quote me can? <BR/><BR/>As far as the prize is concerned, it's time to put the politics behind us and get on with what needs to be celebrated - Asian writing. If wishes were horses....Read@Peacehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13334742756571440932noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7912730.post-52755157146866138082007-11-08T12:17:00.000+08:002007-11-08T12:17:00.000+08:00i am very curious too, amir. i know her name but ...i am very curious too, amir. i know her name but couldn't ask her anything further as her email was "no reply".bibliobibulihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16456636355933524132noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7912730.post-65167219884896737502007-11-08T09:42:00.000+08:002007-11-08T09:42:00.000+08:00I'm more curious as to why the journalist didn't w...I'm more curious as to why the journalist didn't want to reveal her name. Not allowed to moonlight, or does she know one of the participants in this controversy too well? Inquiring minds wanna know! <BR/><BR/>For the record, I think Anthony Burgess wrote a far better 'Malayan' novel than did, say, Tash Aw.Amir Muhammadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08144421497045270238noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7912730.post-5035816271858716352007-11-07T19:12:00.000+08:002007-11-07T19:12:00.000+08:00Maybe Asians just wanted a prize of their very own...<I>Maybe Asians just wanted a prize of their very own--there's always a lot of debate about how it's harder for Asian/African or just generally non-British/American books to win prizes (of course, Booker seems to indicate this is change, esp. with this year's longlist) because the judges can't identify with these cultures, so the purpose of the Asian prize is to level the playing ground a little.</I> <BR/><BR/>yes, for sure. and this is what is behind the unhappiness of nury and others. it isn't the thought that the judges are unable to do a really good job ... it's about the identity of the prize. and i think that's a completely justifiable grouse.bibliobibulihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16456636355933524132noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7912730.post-28252972983811058792007-11-07T13:59:00.000+08:002007-11-07T13:59:00.000+08:00>will have to do with how far they >themselves wan...>will have to do with how far they >themselves want to be seen as >british or american or whatever.<BR/><BR/>Or a citizen of the world! ;) I think nationality is different from ethnicity, certainly, in that I can't say I'm a particular nationality when the law/government says I'm not, whereas ethnicity sometimes can't even be ascertained if you're from a mixed lineage (the best kind of person to be! Even the racists wouldn't know what to do with you... ;) ). <BR/><BR/>But I think the real issue here is, why do we obssess about race and ethnicity so much? I don't think it'll ever end until everyone's so 'mixed up' then no one can really define what we are anymore. <BR/><BR/>>well just once at tash's first >mph appearance when someone asked >the author what right a non-asian >had to review his book!)<BR/><BR/>Okay, that's just plain stupidity I think. Funny how this sounds silly and not quite the selection of judges for the Man Asian Prize. Food for thought. <BR/><BR/>Maybe mainly because books are reviewed all over the world by all sorts of different people (naturally) whereas most 'big name' prizes are run and judged by 'Westerners'. Maybe Asians just wanted a prize of their very own--there's always a lot of debate about how it's harder for Asian/African or just generally non-British/American books to win prizes (of course, Booker seems to indicate this is change, esp. with this year's longlist) because the judges can't identify with these cultures, so the purpose of the Asian prize is to level the playing ground a little. So, perhaps it's seen as a futile mission if the Asian book ends up being judged by a non-Asian anyway!<BR/><BR/>>one rep from each community is >hard ... how for eg. could any >group of asians even represent >the whole ethnic diversity of >asia for a start!<BR/><BR/>Exactly! I was just kidding. Can you imagine, we'd have maybe 130 judges, hahaha.. one for each book! Hey, not a bad idea right? hehehee....Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7912730.post-86379521466847289452007-11-07T13:24:00.000+08:002007-11-07T13:24:00.000+08:00Asian person who's been living in America or the U...<I>Asian person who's been living in America or the UK for 12 years would be considered American or British?</I><BR/><BR/>that also is an interesting question. certainly they should have PR and/or citizenship which eludes one here!<BR/><BR/>i guess though that different people will have different answers to the question, and part of that will have to do with how far they themselves want to be seen as british or american or whatever.<BR/><BR/>i must say speaking for myself that i do feel accepted here. no-one in all this time has ever said to me what right do you have to write about things asian? (well just once at tash's first mph appearance when someone asked the author what right a non-asian had to review his book!)<BR/><BR/>one rep from each community is hard ... how for eg. could any group of asians even represent the whole ethnic diversity of asia for a start!bibliobibulihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16456636355933524132noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7912730.post-60434827068750271522007-11-07T13:04:00.000+08:002007-11-07T13:04:00.000+08:00Let's include a fair mix of people in the committe...Let's include a fair mix of people in the committee then--there must be at least one representative for each ethnic group. ;) Will that make everyone happy?? <BR/><BR/>But truthfully I think the controversy does have a certain degree of relevance, especially considering the state of 'Asian' literature compared to 'Western' literature. Put very simply--we read American and British literature much more widely than they do Asian literature. And, don't want to sound like a broken record but I think this has been said before--most Western readers, or at least, uninformed ones, would be more inclined to imagine Asians as the epitome of the Oriental (read Said's 'Orientalism'), and alternate image of Asians being just as well-versed as they are in English or lead relatively modern lives (going to work in the city, dealing with marital problems, complaining about the traffic) just doesn't sit too well with them. <BR/><BR/>All very well for people like Sayer who says "Am I not Asian" after living in HK for 12 years. <BR/>Let's try the shoe on the other foot. Do you really think that an Asian person who's been living in America or the UK for 12 years would be considered American or British?<BR/><BR/>Even if my comments above can be somewhat of a generalisation (I certainly wouldn't include people who've lived in Asia and understand the culture etc.), I think ultimately the problem is that being colonised has just created a LOT of baggage for us. And it shows.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com