Go ahead, call me a snob. I’ll accept this label. But I am more interested in reading and supporting new Asian American authors who are pushing past the model minority stereotypes and writing about class struggle, passion and politics in a way that doesn’t have to include discussions of brand-names and, in this case, super-elitist academic institutions. I think my critique of Viswanathan goes beyond her chick-lit genre, because this critique applies to authors like Jumpha Lahiri as well, and is more about my frustration with the lack of fiction out there about the working class South Asian community. Can we only write about first generation immigration experiences, living in the suburbs or the homeland? I don’t mean to favor subject-matter over writing quality but I think if South Asian writers continue to write about the same subjects and place their stories in the same settings, we are just limiting ourselves.
while no one can call me a great fan of ishle or any type of objective critic of jhumpa lahiri (sob!), i agree with her questioning of these categories of fiction that all asian am. writers have to fall into in order to get published. if i see one more food-related asian am. woman narrative, i may eat placenta. anyways, scroll down and see how the wolves reacted to the post. jesus.
---
in other news - m-dub is back!! but sake bombing makes my head hurt in the morning. ouch.
No comments:
Post a Comment