August 19, 2009: How Culture Informs & Directs Storytelling, open chat 2
The transcript below covers the complete #litchat conversation on August 19, 2009. The order appears sequentially from the first post to the final post. Topic was open discussion How Culture Informs and Directs Storytelling.
| LitChat Are you ready for #litchat? If so, introduce yourself and let the chat begin. Topic: HOW CULTURE INFORMS & DIRECTS STORYTELLING. -1:00 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| maggiedana @LitChat Am here … crossing fingers my browser cooperates w/TweetChat and refreshes screen. #litchat -1:04 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| murzee your local geek scientist here #litchat -1:05 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| rebeccawoodhead Am here – but will be gone for 5 mins to eat porridge and then be back – am Ms Twitter UK, aspiring author & guest-blogged on… #litchat -1:06 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| maggiedana @murzee Waving at geek {{{{{{{{}}}}}}}}} #litchat -1:06 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
rebeccawoodhead the blog of the unbelievably awesome @BookTrust this week – http://news1.rebeccawoodhead.com – back in a sec  #litchat -1:07 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| murzee @maggiedana back atcha #litchat -1:07 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| LitChat Q1 What elements of a culture are most necessary for writing memorable cultural fiction? #litchat -1:07 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| maggiedana Have unplugged and rearranged cable Internet cords so if I disappear, suddenly, blame electronics (and stupidity). #litchat -1:07 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| Eugenia_Kim Here I am! Sorry, am I moderating today? Thought it was Friday! #litchat -1:08 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| pussreboots web producer/ designer, aspiring author, book blogger. #litchat -1:08 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| pitchparlour May we have a more specific topic within the subject? Jilly Coooper vs. Khaled Hosseini doesn’t bear much examination. #litchat -1:08 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| LitChat @Eugenia_Kim No, you are moderating as guest host on Friday. We’re discussing cultural fiction all week long. #litchat -1:08 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| Eugenia_Kim Was anyone here for @hangingnoodles #litchat last week? It’s apropos to our chat: culture, language, storytelling. #litchat -1:09 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| maggiedana Q1: Am guessing, but I’d say strong sense of family and history of own culture. #litchat -1:09 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| Eugenia_Kim @LitChat Thanks. Whew. I’ll hang for this for sure, though. #litchat -1:09 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| murzee Q1: am partial to mysticism — as in South American, Indian and other Asian authors and stories #litchat -1:10 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| Eugenia_Kim Q1: but what would you classify as “cultural fiction?” #litchat -1:10 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| LitChat @pitchparlour Did you see Q1: What elements of a culture are most necessary for writing memorable cultural fiction? #litchat -1:10 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| pitchparlour @maggiedana Good answer. We are exposed to more cultures and histories outside our own than ever. It gets ever more subjective. #litchat -1:10 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| ecurbmp @LitChat Q1 The elements that are *different*, then being shown how they are different are the most interesting, imo. #litchat -1:10 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| murzee Have to say Toni Morrison is a favorite as well — cultural identity combined with superb language #litchat -1:11 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| pitchparlour God of Small Things anyone? #litchat -1:11 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| LitChat @Eugenia_Kim Good Q. Cultural fiction that which is outside reader’s own cultural setting. #litchat -1:12 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| pussreboots An understanding of Japanese culture and folklore makes Spirited Away easier to understand. #litchat -1:12 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| murzee ABSOLUTELY! RT @pitchparlour: God of Small Things anyone? #litchat -1:13 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| danish_novelist @pitchparlour Yes, I adore God of Small Things. It’s a masterpiece #litchat -1:13 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| Eugenia_Kim Cultural fiction that which is outside reader’s own cultural setting. Which is why Russo’s Bridge of Sighs is so hot in France? #litchat -1:13 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| CarolyBurnsBass @pitchparlour Yes! I read GOD OF SMALL THINGS, one of the most beautifully composed books I know. #litchat -1:14 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| herstorian I’m here. Yes, @Eugenia_Kim, @hangingnoodles v. relevant to today’s discussion. I lurked last week. #litchat -1:14 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| maggiedana Let’s not forget there are cultural diffs within countries, even within regions of same country and those who speak same language. #litchat -1:14 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| rebeccawoodhead porridge cooking..Stuart: A Life Backwards – little cultural nuances like the connection between dogs and death… Porridge burning #litchat -1:14 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| Eugenia_Kim Mysticism is everywhere: Midnight in the Garden… #litchat -1:14 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| maggiedana @rebeccawoodhead <— is an inspired chef. #litchat -1:15 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| danish_novelist You Americans are wildly exotic to me – with your niceties, your great white teeth, and your lust for air condition #litchat -1:15 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| Eugenia_Kim And *differences* are within our own families. Sexuality, goth, personal choices, choices inflicted on us… cultural, no? #litchat -1:15 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| pitchparlour @CarolyBurnsBass Fantastic, but made me realise there were things I’d never experience as an English farmer’s daughter. #litchat -1:15 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| maggiedana @danish_novelist Americans are exotic to me too, and I’ve lived among ‘em for more than 4 decades. #litchat -1:16 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| LexxClarke Talking of beautiful writing, The Famished Road? #litchat -1:16 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| Eugenia_Kim @herstorian Loved the @hangingnoodles twist. Makes all this easy to laugh at, laugh with. Tortured colloquialisms. #litchat -1:16 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| Eugenia_Kim @danish_novelist HA HA! Great white teeth, LUST for air conditioning! Come live in DC and you’ll understand #litchat -1:17 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| murzee Sorry to bring up: does demagoguery in #healthcare “debate” rely on our strong cultural characteristics/stereotypes? #litchat -1:17 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| maggiedana @Eugenia_Kim An ever diminishing circle–country, region, village, family, yet still there are cultural differences. #litchat -1:17 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| danish_novelist @Eugenia_Kim I love mysticism when it’s grounded in reality. Fantasy leaves me stone cold #litchat -1:17 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| Eugenia_Kim *Exotic* Such a dangerous word for Asian Americans. Massage parlour ads and the like. #litchat -1:18 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| LexxClarke Perhaps an understanding of a culture means that writing about is easier than if you are from that culture #litchat -1:18 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| maggiedana Me too. RT @danish_novelist: @Eugenia_Kim I love mysticism when its grounded in reality. Fantasy leaves me stone cold #litchat -1:18 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| herstorian I’m reading a lot of cultural fiction lately: THE JADE PEONY, DOES MY HEAD LOOK BIG IN THIS?, BEYOND INDIGO, THE RABBI’S DAUGHTER. #litchat -1:18 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| maggiedana @murzee Yes. #litchat -1:18 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| pitchparlour @Eugenia_Kim If you are raised in a family, their culture is yours or you it has a culture of your own. Other divisions individual. #litchat -1:19 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| pussreboots No AC here. #litchat -1:19 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| pitchparlour A culture is only a culture if you choose to adopt it. Otherwise you are an individual. #litchat -1:19 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| LexxClarke The tome meister James Clavell seems to have a good grasp of Japanese feudal culture,but perhaps misses the finer detail #litchat -1:19 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| LitChat @murzee Let’s keep the topic on literature for now. Thanks. #litchat -1:20 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| Eugenia_Kim @pitchparlour Individual differences w/in families, yes. But does individuality then make it not *culture*? #litchat -1:20 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| pitchparlour @danish_novelist I agree. In the same way Peter Hoeg is utterly Danish. #litchat -1:21 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| Eugenia_Kim RT @LexxClarke-understanding of a culture means that writing about is easier than if you are from that culture. INTERESTING. More? #litchat -1:21 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| murzee <—— spanked, apologies, @LitChat #litchat -1:21 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| danish_novelist @Eugenia_Kim I’m an air con Nazi. When it’s in the 90s I’ll allow it. #litchat -1:21 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| CarolyBurnsBass In terms of how culture informs storytelling, look at @KarenWeinreb from 2 weeks ago–her story is about the culture of privilege. #litchat -1:21 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| Eugenia_Kim @LexxClarke. What about Memoirs of Geisha, by white man Arthur Golden? Admittedly a Japanophile. #litchat -1:22 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| maggiedana How well can person NOT from a culture, really understand it enough to write about it convincingly? #litchat -1:23 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| Eugenia_Kim @CarolyBurnsBass I agree. Culture is so broad. Privilege is one. Class, age, sexuality, country of origin, family of origin… 1/2 #litchat -1:23 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| LexxClarke @Eugenia_Kim Well I wonder if being part of a culture makes one more protective or less objective about it #litchat -1:23 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| rebeccawoodhead can I? Well yes I can… Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet – I mention it in just about every litchat as it’s always relevant #litchat -1:23 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| danish_novelist @pitchparlour Translated lit only works when your own culture shines through – and when your theme transcends borders #litchat -1:24 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| Eugenia_Kim @CarolyBurnsBass 2/2 but what makes the writing a successful “cultural” piece? #litchat -1:24 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| Eugenia_Kim @maggiedana @LexxClarke Arthur Golden, question of protectiveness and objectivity… interesting! #litchat -1:25 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| rebeccawoodhead @maggiedana one is blind to one’s own culture. Try living back here again. It will blow your mind. Never saw this culture with… #litchat -1:25 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| pitchparlour @Eugenia_Kim Surely ‘culture’ is the abandonment of individuality in favour of common interest? Individuals may exist within it. #litchat -1:25 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| danish_novelist @LexxClarke I like going back and forth between Denmark and the US because it makes me see both cultures more clearly #litchat -1:25 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| HyattBass @maggiedana Women can write strong male characters though & v/versa…& about things they’ve never experienced personally…. #litchat -1:25 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| LitChat Q2 fm @Eugenia_Kim What makes the writing a successful “cultural” piece? #litchat -1:25 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| rebeccawoodhead ..fresher eyes than when I returned from America. I saw things in America that my American BF couldn’t and vice versa #litchat -1:25 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| LexxClarke @Eugenia_Kim or perhaps the notion of cultural fiction comes from some type of nostalgia or otherwise idealised view #litchat -1:25 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| pitchparlour RT @danish_novelist@pitchparlour Translations only work when your own culture shines through-and when your theme transcends borders #litchat -1:25 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| Eugenia_Kim @maggiedana Being not from a culture organically, yet research can be done, immersion. Allowing your *outsider* pov to reveal new. #litchat -1:26 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| rebeccawoodhead @pitchparlour I thought that too – before I studied sociology and psychology. Trickier to believe now. #litchat -1:26 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| maggiedana @HyattBass But does the male/female thing count as culture or gender? Both? #litchat -1:26 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| Eugenia_Kim @pitchparlour Yes, soon as I answered, I thot definition of “culture” is group. #litchat -1:27 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| maggiedana @rebeccawoodhead I need to move home for a year. Wanna put me up? #litchat -1:27 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| aspiringmama I’m searching for #writechat live on TweetGrid Search – http://bit.ly/rbSV3 #litchat -1:27 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| rebeccawoodhead what Q are we on now – finished burnt porridge #litchat -1:27 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| pitchparlour @maggiedana Ask Jeffrey Eugenides! #litchat -1:27 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| herstorian @danishnovelist: Yes, it was when I was travelling Europe that I realized what it truly meant to be “Canadian.” And North American. #litchat -1:27 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| rebeccawoodhead @maggiedana lol! #litchat -1:28 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| LexxClarke @maggiedana perhaps your gender identity within a culture is more significant? #litchat -1:28 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| maggiedana @aspiringmama try TweetChat if that doesn’t work. #litchat -1:28 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| corb21 @LitChat controversy, public outcry, obsessive fans….#litchat -1:28 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| danish_novelist @rebeccawoodhead You’re ALWAYS blind to your own culture if you don’t travel #litchat -1:28 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| maggiedana Good point. RT @LexxClarke: @maggiedana perhaps your gender identity within a culture is more significant? #litchat -1:29 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| HyattBass @maggiedana I’m just saying if one can cross gender & other barriers why not cultural? Must one experience to write? I think no. #litchat -1:29 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| rebeccawoodhead @danish_novelist agree #litchat -1:29 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| maggiedana The ‘forgiving eye.’ RT @danish_novelist: @rebeccawoodhead Youre ALWAYS blind to your own culture if you dont travel #litchat -1:29 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| Eugenia_Kim RT @LexxClarke-notion of cultural fiction comes from some type of nostalgia or otherwise idealised view. I disagree. Others? #litchat -1:29 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| juxtabook @danish_novelist Does it make u feel Danish in US & American, or less Danish, in Denmark? Does being outside make it easier to see? #litchat -1:29 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| LexxClarke RT @danish_novelist: @rebeccawoodhead You’re ALWAYS blind to your own culture if you don’t travel #litchat very true -1:30 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| kashicat RT @danish_novelist: @rebeccawoodhead You’re ALWAYS blind to your own culture if you don’t travel #litchat [So agree!] -1:30 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| pitchparlour @HyattBass Culture is so specific, like being part of the gang in the playground and knowing how to behave, but not why you do so. #litchat -1:31 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| CarolyBurnsBass @Eugenia_Kim What do you mean by “success”? This is such a broad and misunderstood word when applied to books. #litchat -1:31 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| kashicat @herstorian I had same experience (re: being Canadian) just from living in U.S. for 9 months. #litchat -1:31 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| Eugenia_Kim Still thinking about @LexxClarke- I wonder if being part of a culture makes one more protective or less objective about it. #litchat -1:31 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| juxtabook @LexxClarke Nostalgia – yes I think that drives a lot of concepts of culture and nationhood. #litchat -1:31 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| Eugenia_Kim @CarolyBurnsBass Does the writing have the ring of truth? Do you feel immersed in a *different* time/place? Do you believe? #litchat -1:32 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| danish_novelist @herstorian We all become pompous patriots if we stay at home. So if you can’t travel read some foreign lit #litchat -1:32 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| Eugenia_Kim @CarolyBurnsBass Um. That was in response to the word *success*. Would you agree? #litchat -1:32 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| maggiedana @pitchparlour Gang performs cultural brainwashing. #litchat -1:32 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| CarolyBurnsBass @pitchparlour Or like being part of the gang in the playground, but always doubting your place within. #litchat -1:33 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| HyattBass @pitchparlour See what you mean…interesting point. Comparing Memoirs of Geisha & Eugenia_Kim’s book I think you’re right actually #litchat -1:33 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| LexxClarke that was more of a hypothetical than a statement of opinion btw @Eugenia_Kim #litchat -1:33 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| juxtabook @Eugenia_Kim Maybe more protective or even more negative about it. #litchat -1:33 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| pussreboots Culture has state boundaries too. #litchat -1:33 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| Eugenia_Kim @juxtabook Nostalgia. Sentimentality. It doesn’t help though when writing I think. #litchat -1:33 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| kashicat @HyattBass I’d agree with you that you don’t have to exper. everything, to write accurately about it. #litchat -1:34 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| pussreboots @Eugenia_Kim And yet there both nostalgia and sentimentality show up in books all the time. #litchat -1:34 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| CarolyBurnsBass @Eugenia_Kim Excellent. I was hoping you would say that. Some writers equate success with quantity of books sold. –> #litchat -1:34 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| Eugenia_Kim @LexxClarke but thought provoking, so thanks! #litchat -1:34 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| rebeccawoodhead English writers live on island – travelling to new countries is expected. In US there are many cultures but less foreign travel #litchat -1:35 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| Eugenia_Kim @pussreboots State boundaries, yes! Mason Dixon line is one. #litchat -1:35 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| murzee Culture can be a divisive term, yet good cultural fiction is a uniting force — universal themes appeal #litchat -1:35 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| danish_novelist @juxtabook After 2 weeks in the US I start to glorify Denmark. After 2 weeks in Denmark I start to glorify the US. #litchat -1:35 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| pitchparlour @CarolyBurnsBass Everyone does that! That’s what creates culture in the first place. Hello extremism. #litchat -1:35 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| Eugenia_Kim @kashicat Agree on experience not required for accurate writing. See @HyattBass’s THE EMBERS. She does old man superbly. #litchat -1:36 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| HyattBass RT @murzee: Culture can be a divisive term, yet good cultural fiction is a uniting force — universal themes appeal (agree!) #litchat -1:36 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
LexxClarke @Eugenia_Kim welcome  ) I also wonder if this is a conscious effort on the part of an author #litchat -1:36 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| maggiedana @murzee We all share universal themes, so always good to read about them from other side of fence. #litchat -1:36 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| rebeccawoodhead *watches the Americans and makes notes* #litchat -1:48 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| kashicat @rebeccawoodhead That theory about US/Canada explains why we look similar on the outside, but internal char. is very different #litchat -1:48 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| pitchparlour @LexxClarke Tragic isn’t it? One read at fourteen you’re never rid of the beggar. #litchat -1:48 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| maggiedana @pussreboots Conversely, would Southern writers want to write Northern? #litchat -1:48 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| pussreboots @rebeccawoodhead There is a lot of lingering animosity. #litchat -1:48 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| LexxClarke Does our culture – in whatever form – define how we express emotions? #litchat -1:49 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| murzee Plenty examples Northern cultural fict — Snow Falling on Cedars is one; what about Hawthorne? #litchat -1:49 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| HyattBass @pussreboots but then what about memoirs of geisha by non-japanese writer. Couldn’t just as easily be northerner writing on south? #litchat -1:49 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| pussreboots @maggiedana Die hard southerners… probably not. #litchat -1:49 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| Eugenia_Kim RT @pitchparlour-It’s when they leave that culture becomes defining. SO INTERESTING! #litchat -1:49 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| kashicat @rebeccawoodhead Yes, as soon as someone brought up North/South in US, my own “it’s imagination” theory paused. #litchat -1:49 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| LexxClarke @pitchparlour read it in two hours on the day the copies were given out #litchat -1:50 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| corb21 This applies to #litchat friends too! Offering my Twitter friends a 10% discount! Visti the store @www.publishingworks.com code: TWITTER. -1:50 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| rebeccawoodhead @pussreboots I noticed over there. Really interesting going from Boston, down to DC, then into Virginia etc. The stories change. #litchat -1:50 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| pussreboots @HyattBass I think someone growing up outside the range of original Civil War would have more luck than N vs S. #litchat -1:51 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| Eugenia_Kim RT @LexxClarke Does our culture-in whatever form-define how we express emotions? INTERESTING question. #litchat -1:51 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| pitchparlour @Eugenia_Kim Birmingham Alabama or Birmingham West Midlands UK. If the latter, it isn’t just another country, it’s another world. #litchat -1:51 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| kashicat @pussreboots I had no idea ab. animosity till friend from Texas talked to me at length about it. So surprising to me, up in Canada. #litchat -1:51 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| deberryandgrant @pitchparlour Possibly. I think many Americans live dual cultural lives–sometimes more than that…hence all the hyphenated Ams. #litchat -1:51 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| pussreboots @HyattBass Memoirs of a Geisha has nothing to do w/ lingering bad feelings between N and S. #litchat -1:51 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| rebeccawoodhead It’s harder to write about your own country’s divisions. Our class system is stifling so we ignore it. I unpicked it in my books.. #litchat -1:52 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| TheNewAuthor @rebeccawoodhead You are getting into a new realm when you bring up the North/South here in the States. #litchat -1:52 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| pussreboots @kashicat I do not understand most of the south. As a Californian… it might as well be different country. #litchat -1:52 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| rebeccawoodhead ..not the most pleasant experience as I’ve been on both sides of it. #litchat -1:52 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| HyattBass Maybe we Americans are just more sensitive to nuances between southern/northern culture than to Euro writing on Asia, etc…? #litchat -1:52 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| Eugenia_Kim @deberryandgrant @pitchparlour Hyphenated Americans, but I believe even w/in tightly closed cultures, there is more than one avail #litchat -1:53 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| pitchparlour @rebeccawoodhead Much less than it ever was. #litchat -1:53 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| LexxClarke I found the culture as a bond of community very strong in the Ozarks #litchat -1:53 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| rebeccawoodhead @TheNewAuthor not really. That’s your cultural heritage. That’s interesting to outsiders. Just not easy to write from the inside #litchat -1:53 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| murzee Is it really North/South or coasts and middle? #litchat -1:53 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| Eugenia_Kim So true. Do we need to be outside then, to see? RT @rebeccawoodhead-harder to write about your own country’s divisions. #litchat -1:54 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| herstorian @rebeccawoodhead: Agreed. North and South should be able to write each other’s stories, with research and imagination. #litchat -1:54 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| rebeccawoodhead @pitchparlour not true. Have you been on both sides of it? #litchat -1:54 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| kashicat @pussreboots Think UR missing point ab totally diff cultures being able/unable to write ab ea other. Non-Geisha, non-Southerner etc #litchat -1:54 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| pitchparlour @Eugenia_Kim Doesn’t the hyphenation = an evermore pervasive attempt to belong? Why try to fit into a certain group? #litchat -1:54 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| HyattBass @pussreboots No, I’m just trying to say one can feel *compelled* to write about a culture which isn’t one’s own. #litchat -1:54 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| HyattBass @kashicat yes–thanks, that’s what I meant. #litchat -1:55 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| rebeccawoodhead @HyattBass that’s my point. It’s harder to write what is closer to home. More uncomfortable to write the tensions. #litchat -1:55 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| herstorian I think regions in North Am. are not like other countries, but YES are very distinct, but in a diff. way. Am. regions still Am. #litchat -1:55 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| pitchparlour @rebeccawoodhead Isn’t it impossible to be on both sides of it? #litchat -1:55 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| wendykwebb The research is key. Sometimes I read American characters in books by someone from another country and think: that misses the mark. #litchat -1:56 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| kashicat @herstorian Maybe diff wrt North/South is that one *can’t* write ab. other cultures if you loathe them & can’t remove yrself? #litchat -1:56 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| Eugenia_Kim @pitchparlour Re: Hyphens=attempt to belong. No, attempt to define identity I think. Mixed blood & cultures when pressure to be 1 #litchat -1:56 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| BenRubinstein @pitchparlour Why try to fit in? I think “belonging” is one of the most basic human desires! #litchat -1:56 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| maggiedana @herstorian Ams are Ams 1st, mid-Westerners (or whatever) 2nd. European are French (English, German, etc.) 1st, Europeans 2nd. #litchat -1:57 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| rebeccawoodhead @pitchparlour nope. Not if you start off with postion then lose it. People judge by appearances. If I look like cr*p and keep … #litchat -1:57 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| deberryandgrant @wendykwebb Research is imp. but understanding is even more so. #litchat -1:57 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| Eugenia_Kim @HyattBass Re: Feeling *compelled* to write about a culture which isn’t one’s own. I wd add, when a culture is only 1 part of self. #litchat -1:57 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| HyattBass Re all this north/south stuff & who can write about what, I keep thinking of earlier point: universal appeal = most important. #litchat -1:57 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| rebeccawoodhead @pitchparlour my mouth shut, they don’t suspect royal lineage, private education and titled friends (or high IQ interestingly) #litchat -1:58 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| wendykwebb @deberryandgrant Well said. #litchat -1:58 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| pussreboots @maggiedana No. Californians are Californians first and Americans second. Same is true for each state. #litchat -1:58 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| Eugenia_Kim @BenRubinstein Belonging, basic, yes, but when one is of multiple cultures, or you don’t *belong* to *yours* then what? #litchat -1:58 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| pitchparlour @BenRubinstein Of course, but hyphenated Americanisms? British people don’t say I’m a Cornish-Scottish-Welshman. #litchat -1:58 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| deberryandgrant @maggiedana But that is b/c they are all different countries on same continent. Canadians, Mexicans & Americans r all Ams. But NOT #litchat -1:59 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| herstorian Yes! @herstorian Maybe diff wrt North/South is that one *can’t* write ab. other cultures if you loathe them & can’t remove yrself? #litchat -1:59 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| mmj5170 RT @deberryandgrant: @wendykwebb Research is imp. but understanding is even more so. #litchat -1:59 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| latta #litchat consider achebe & ability to portray not only colonisers vs locals, but cult diffs w/in indigenous pops as well. -1:59 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| llapen @pitchparlour A point that is eloquently underscored in Kiran Desai’s The Inheritance of Loss. #litchat -1:59 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| kashicat RT @pussreboots: @maggiedana No. Californians are Californians first and Americans second. Same is true for each state. #litchat -1:59 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| pussreboots @Eugenia_Kim Multicultural night at school / work is rough when you’re a multigenerational mutt. #litchat -1:59 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| Eugenia_Kim @wendykwebb @deberryandgrant Research, understanding, and embodiment too. Native language helps, but is it required? #litchat -2:00 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| BenRubinstein @Eugenia_Kim Oh, I never said “belonging” was easy! That’s why the struggle makes so many great books! #litchat -2:00 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| pitchparlour @Eugenia_Kim Have you *seen* Phillips Idowu? Now that’s identity. Wiki him and meet an individual. #litchat -2:00 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| herstorian RT @Eugenia_Kim: Hyphens=attempt to belong. No, attempt to define identity I think. Mixed blood & cultures when pressure to be 1 #litchat -2:00 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| murzee RT @HyattBass: …I keep thinking of earlier point: universal appeal = most important. [but cult context sets stage for story] #litchat -2:00 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| rebeccawoodhead @pitchparlour what interests me – having been deemed to be at both ends of the class scale – is that both suck in equal measure #litchat -2:00 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| HyattBass RT @latta: consider achebe ability to portray not only colonisers vs locals, but cult diffs w/in indigenous pops as well. (yes!) #litchat -2:00 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| Eugenia_Kim @pitchparlour Hyphenations. We hyphenated LOOK *different* so we are already differentiated on outside. Hyphens clarify the whole. #litchat -2:01 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| BenRubinstein @deberryandgrant I read one writer who referred to “Ams” as “USians” which I really liked. Clunky, yes, but accurate! #litchat -2:01 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| kashicat @pitchparlour Ah but do they say I’m Jamaican-British etc? I think hyphenation comes with newer cultural combos #litchat -2:01 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| TheNewAuthor @rebeccawoodhead As they say – History is written by those who won. #litchat -2:01 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| pitchparlour Quite right! RT @pussreboots: @maggiedana Californians are Californians first and Americans second. Same is true for each state. #litchat -2:01 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| maggiedana @deberryandgrant By Am, I meant citizen of US. Sorry for being unclear. Don’t know what else to call US citizen. #litchat -2:02 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| pussreboots @BenRubinstein I don’t like term USians. #litchat -2:02 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| Eugenia_Kim @pitchparlour re: Phillips Idowu. Amazing. Individual. All that. #litchat -2:02 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| deberryandgrant @murzee Cult. context IS the stage and can be used to help tell the story which may also be cultural but just as possibly not #litchat -2:02 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| herstorian Yes, except in Quebec. @maggiedana Ams are Ams 1st, mid-Westerners (or whatever) 2nd. European are French etc 1st, Europeans 2nd. #litchat -2:02 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| BenRubinstein @pitchparlour Ehhh just wait! I think that might change in Europe & UK. Might hear “Turkish-British” or some such! #litchat -2:02 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| latta #litchat i am a californian 1st- & no matter how long away, no other state could possibly be home. -2:02 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| guyarceneaux Later all, going out for some “culture”#litchat -2:03 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| wendykwebb I was mildly offended when watching the Rene Zellw. movie abt living in rural Minnesota… no MNs on the writing staff, obviously. #litchat -2:03 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| BenRubinstein @pussreboots Why don’t you like “USian”? Other than it sounds ugly at first. #litchat -2:03 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| deberryandgrant @BenRubinstein I like it too. But how is it pronounced? U.S.-ians? USIANS? #litchat -2:04 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| Eugenia_Kim @herstorian Re: Ams are Ams 1st… Respectfully disagree. Too many immigrants in America. #litchat -2:04 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| pitchparlour @Eugenia_Kim Now that is a very good point. Doesn’t work so well in the UK. #litchat -2:04 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| kashicat @maggiedana I think the point would still stand, that Americans consider their state first. It’s regarded as union of sep. states. #litchat -2:04 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| maggiedana Am frankly surprised that being from specific state trumps US citizenship. #litchat -2:04 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| rebeccawoodhead @BenRubinstein I used to do that! – The USians thing #litchat -2:04 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| LexxClarke Would you introduce yourself to a non North American as a Californian @latta ? #litchat -2:04 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| wendykwebb @maggiedana I don’t feel that way, but I do identify with being a Minnesotan. #litchat -2:05 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| BenRubinstein @deberryandgrant I’d say “U.S.ian” #litchat -2:05 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| Eugenia_Kim @maggiedana Ah, citizenship and cultural identity are different breeds. #litchat -2:05 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| deberryandgrant @maggiedana Until you are outside of the country. Then American is first in the hearts and on the lips of her countrymen #litchat -2:06 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| HyattBass RT @maggiedana: Am frankly surprised that being from specific state trumps US citizenship. (me too–makes me feel I’m back in TX!) #litchat -2:06 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| Eugenia_Kim Wow, my head is swimming. Thanks all for an amazing session. I’ll be dreaming in colors tonight for sure! #litchat -2:06 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| CarolyBurnsBass I’m a second generation native Californian, but if asked my nationality, I would not say Californian, but American. #litchat -2:06 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| herstorian @BenRubinstein: Probably @justinelavaworm. She’s Australian and uses “USians.” #litchat -2:06 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| murzee RT @maggiedana: …surprised that being from specific state trumps US citizenship. [Idaho=potatoes, NH=Yankee ingenuity, etc.] #litchat -2:06 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| danish_novelist @wendykwebb The director was Danish. Maybe that had something to do with it #litchat -2:07 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| maggiedana @wendykwebb How does person from, say, Massachusetts or Connecticut refer to themselves? Yankee? #litchat -2:07 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| deberryandgrant @maggiedana And I am not convinced that all states share the same level of pride… #litchat -2:07 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| rebeccawoodhead @Eugenia_Kim too many what? *Thinks about nature and history of America and becomes confused* #litchat -2:07 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| murzee In MA it is the part of state that comes first — e.g., Boston, So/No Shore, Western MA. All have diff feel #litchat -2:07 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| kashicat @pitchparlour Interesting Here in Canada hyphenation isn’t so divisive. In many ways it’s a sign of “This is my branch of Canadian” #litchat -2:07 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| susanmpls Some of us self-describe as American and mention our state as a place of residence (rather than our identity). #litchat -2:07 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| CarolyBurnsBass Still, culture of NorCalifornia and SoCalifornia are different. In SF they still dress up for dinner, not so much in LA. #litchat -2:07 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| wendykwebb RT @CarolyBurnsBass… if asked my nationality, I would not say Californian, but American. I agree. #litchat -2:08 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| murzee Good cultural fxtn transcends cult stereotypes — how? #litchat -2:08 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| herstorian Agreed. In Cda, other than Qc, not true. RT @maggiedana: Am frankly surprised that being from specific state trumps US citizenship. #litchat -2:09 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| rebeccawoodhead @CarolyBurnsBass nationality is Californian? But.. ‘Nation’? ‘One nation under…’ no. Confused. Can’t go on. #litchat -2:09 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| pussreboots @maggiedana Bay Stater, Massachusite, Massachusian, Massachusettser, Massachusetter, Massachusettean #litchat -2:09 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| agnieszkasshoes looks like I missed #litchat Catch you all next time. Goodnight twitterverse -2:09 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| rebeccawoodhead @murzee I love Boston. *Sigh* #litchat -2:09 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| Eugenia_Kim @rebeccawoodhead She was saying Americans think they’re Ams first. I said there are too many FOB immigrants here to make that true. #litchat -2:09 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| wendykwebb @pussreboots New Englander #litchat -2:10 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| BenRubinstein @susanmpls That’s funny. When I’m in Europe I identify as Canadian (I’m not). At least I did pre-Obama #litchat -2:10 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| pussreboots Connecticuter or Nutmegger #litchat -2:10 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| murzee Me 2 RT @rebeccawoodhead: @murzee I love Boston. *Sigh* #litchat -2:10 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| herstorian Good point. Meant US/Region. RT @Eugenia_Kim: @herstorian Re: Ams are Ams 1st… Respectfully disagree. Too many immigrants in Am. #litchat -2:10 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| deberryandgrant RT @susanmpls: Some of us self-describe as American and mention our state as a place of residence (rather than our identity). MANY #litchat -2:10 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| maggiedana @rebeccawoodhead VERY confusing, all this one nation — states’ rights stuff, isn’t it? #litchat -2:10 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| herstorian RT @LexxClarke: Would you introduce yourself to a non North American as a Californian @latta ? #litchat -2:10 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| pussreboots Americans for the most part think of their state first though. We have a lot of regional rivalries. #litchat -2:10 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| LitChat Mark your calendars now for more from @Eugenia_Kim, author of wonderful new novel THE CALLIGRAPHER’S DAUGHTER. #litchat -2:11 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| writergal85 @HyattBass i agree that w/ research & skill, a good writer can write about any culture and make it compelling, believable #litchat -2:11 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| LitChat We’ve wound past our scheduled 1-hr chat. Thanks for joining us today and please come back Friday, same time. #litchat -2:11 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| murzee u mean federalism? RT @maggiedana: @rebeccawoodhead VERY confusing, all this one nation — states rights stuff, isnt it? #litchat -2:11 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| herstorian RT @deberryandgrant: Until you are outside of the country. Then American is first in the hearts and on the lips of her countrymen #litchat -2:11 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
| wendykwebb Thanks, all #litchat -2:11 PM Aug 19th, 2009 |
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