I’ll read more carefully in the future.

You’ve read it, I assume.

Did you not read this comment?

In the excerpt from the book (the first link), a starving boy is rescued by a eunuch and taken back to a house of eunuchs, where the head eunuch  – who is drawn in an almost self-consciously evil way, narrow face, slanting eyebrows, scowl — insists that the boy be castrated too, with a curly Arabic looking razor, and then buries him in hot sand for 5 days. This does not look to me like a good argument for transcending Orientalist tropes.

I’m willing to withhold judgement until I’ve read his one. I’m weird, I guess.

(This is not a spoiler; the author discusses the segment in the accompanying interview. And I’m aware of the hijra and Western castrati traditions. Still.)

I’m reserving judgement until I have, personally.

Doctress – loose translation of Orient – Western way of saying, ANYTHING east of Europe. So that means Chinese, Lebanese, Pakistani, Thai, its all the same thing (not a very pleasant term indeed)American applications that require you to check a box for race NEVER include middle-eastern. Because it is considered “white non-hispanic”. A population of several hundred million Arabic speakers is not recognized as it’s own separate category, despite cultural alienation, and discrimination in every western state, but “Native Alaskan/ Aleutian” is granted it’s own separate category on these applications.This graphic novel seems to reinforce that Arab culture is all radical Islamism and womanizing. I don’t need to get into the wonderful things that have come from the Islamic world, because clearly it is exotic enough to explore as a sci-fi frontier. Kudos to Craig for making an effort to write something a little different, fail on Craig for missing the mark, and not having one of his Western-Arab friends look it over and give them a critique on whether it was too racist. I just hope that the writer himself grows by literary rape and consumer backlash, but in the end transcends his white-boydom and becomes the writer this genre needs.

This might not be, it might be psuedo-orientalist, as I said. Either way, it’s tiresome.

Please stop putting four to ten line breaks between your paragraphs and before and after your comments.

I sure hope so! Thanks for the followup–I’m even more encouraged to read it, and I certainly will.

My point is that Orientalism is: (a) an unintentional
attitude and (b) focused on difference— the West’s projection of its own
desires to romanticize/fetishize the other.

Said spoke of Orientalism as if it were inescapable. I’m
proposing that Thompson knew all this and managed to escape.

(a) Every instance of Thompson’s “Orientalism” is intended–
he knowingly manipulates Orientalist imagery to critique imperialism (commenting
on everything from economic to environmental to sexual profiteering).

(b) Thompson is focused on connection— the underlying
similarities in mythology and humanity that can bring people together.

After reading HABIBI, I can’t imagine that Thompson is
setting this in a “time-bubble” to excuse stereotypes. It’s a loving and moving story that uses magical realism to explore hybridity, collective consciousness,
and both the literal and intellectual layering of imagery and ideas.

What? The term Orientalism doesn’t create artificial boundaries. It identifies them, and serves as a tool toward exposing and deconstructing them. 

Have you actually read any Said?

The book is borrowing self-consciously Orientalist tropes from French Orientalist paintings and the Arabian Nights. I’m aware of their sensationalism and exploitation, but wanted to juxtapose the influence of Islamic arts with this fantastical Western take.

Is that any different than, “Yes, I’m using the N-word, but I’m using it ironically.”

“The book is borrowing self-consciously Orientalist tropes
from French Orientalist paintings and the Arabian Nights. I’m aware of
their sensationalism and exploitation, but wanted to juxtapose the influence of
Islamic arts with this fantastical Western take. This is a constant theme in
the book of juxtaposing the sacred and profane.” (Guernica)

Before reducing this into a political
bumper sticker, at least be aware of the content, context, and overall project.
Or at least read the book first. Or at least look at more than one page.

http://www.guernicamag.com/fiction/2997/habibi_craig_thompson_9_15_11/
http://www.guernicamag.com/interviews/3073/thompson_interview_9_15_11/

http://boingboing.net/2011/04/06/anyas-ghost-sweet-an.html

Well, the story I’ve working on (which is a simple “slice of life” story than anything), I’ve actively tried to ensure that I not use any kind of cliche or overused trope and to actually write characters which are unique (which includes writing FOR women as opposed to ABOUT women). For example, I’ve tried my best to avoid “sexualizing” my female characters for no/any reason. The only time anyone is seen in bathing suits is when they’re actually swimming (and I tried my best to make them look “normal” and “bland” even).

There is a rape scene–one of the main characters is drunk raped at a party by this dude who has been stalking her–but it serves no purpose other than to explain why this one mystery guy who appeared out of nowhere is not who they seem to be. I certainly did not write it for something the female character needs to “overcome” as part of the story, however…  but after seeing how played out rape stories have become (just like pregnancy stories), I’ve actually been considering removing it and replacing it with something else just as bad and shocking that a stalker would do.

The rest of the main female characters; one is Lakota and the other in Chinese. The Lakota went and shaved her head after some guy she liked told her–as a cop out–and he thought shaved head girls were hot. The races, however, are things that the characters just HAPPEN to be, I actively try to avoid turning them into what people think they should be like just because they are who they are racially.

But do I thank you for your suggestions, I really truly do want to write stories which aren’t the typical “oh, a man wrote it, so I doubt it’ll be anything but from the man’s point of view”, and so all the help and ideas and suggestions I can get from people is most appreciated. (^_^)

…OK, well, maybe THIS one derails the conversation a bit… Actually, lemme RErail it.

I will admit that tales like Habibi (or rather, what it seems like it is) bother me a lot because none of the male writers for those kinds of tales really actually write it in the females point of view, but what the male writer thinks is the male’s point of view. As such, they either have characters which are males narrating the story, or female characters who do the narrating, but it’s obviously the writer in drag, PRETENDING and PLAYING A ROLE of the female.

I really hope that this isn’t the case with Habibi, but there’s only one way to tell!