tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8550058566159443898.post5542664978705361660..comments2024-03-28T11:00:36.392-04:00Comments on Cyganeria: Beyond Boys and Girls: continuing the discussion with Jenna St. Hilaire and Mr. PondMashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06943998810222103926noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8550058566159443898.post-35697376498884497502011-06-02T11:44:24.314-04:002011-06-02T11:44:24.314-04:00Jam-for-the-ladies,
We could call you Anka, or An...Jam-for-the-ladies,<br /><br />We could call you Anka, or Annushka, or Lena...or LUBA (like the DOG :)!!)<br /><br />When I said, writing primarily as a woman, I ment, putting her sex ahead of her humanity, limiting the ability of her writing to appeal to both men and women..does that make sense?<br /><br />There is a difference in unwillingness to portray something because of a lack of experience, I was not refering to this so much as the second, rejection of an experience. I think that men can write well on things like childbirth - having not experienced it, by entering into the experience with women. It's different than a woman writing on the same experience, but not in a wrong way.<br /><br />No, I don't really think anyone but God can create fully, but I think everyone should be striving to. Dare to dream! :)<br /><br />(Have you seen the Icon of the 3-handed Virgin?? speaking of mysteriously sprouting 3rd hands.)<br /><br />You still haven't told me how to get to Your blog.Mashahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06943998810222103926noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8550058566159443898.post-80344225339017967942011-06-02T11:32:47.224-04:002011-06-02T11:32:47.224-04:00Jenna,
I see, I think I did mis-understand your s...Jenna,<br /> I see, I think I did mis-understand your second comment. I also can't read Tom Clancy, though really, that might be because I've never had the desire to try. :) It may be because women's lit is so exclusively "women's" while Tom C. and the like can appeal to anyone who's interested in Law-type things, there are often "strong" if 2-demensional(sp) women walking around, where as in women's lit (I'm guessing, I don't read a lot of that either) the men tend to be eye/emotion candy..though again, the women in Clancy might be "I-like-high-powered-chicks" eye-candy..maybe that's why they're two-demensional(Sp).<br /><br />I agree with you entirely on the clinical nastiness of "infertile" vs. "barren". I always avoid "infertile" its implications are so cold, and so permanent. "Barren" allows for alteration, like a field being given time to lie farrow, building its nutrient and growing into it's creativity. Applying 'infertile' to a person is like a cures, it says 'never', while 'barren' says, 'not now'. At least that's my experience.<br /><br />I Did want to go in somewhat to masculine and feminine aspects, not just into humanity in general, but I didn't have time, or direction at the time, I do agree that drawing out masculine and feminine elements is Good, just often over-blown and then limiting..hope this is all clear.<br /><br />Blessings! And thanks a lot for your thoughts, they were fantastic!<br />MashaMashahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06943998810222103926noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8550058566159443898.post-7478111239003281392011-06-02T00:52:29.053-04:002011-06-02T00:52:29.053-04:00Masha. What's my Russian nickname, eh? I find ...Masha. What's <i>my</i> Russian nickname, eh? I find myself suspended between responses. My initial reaction is to say I <i>don't</i> think a woman writing primarily "as a woman" has necessarily failed artistically, but then I'm not sure what you mean by this phrase. Can you elaborate?<br /><br />There's a distinction to be made between not attempting to portray something (combat, childbirth,) because you don't have experiences to draw on and don't feel comfortable cobbling something together, on one hand, and portraying these things in an arrogant or stereotyped or otherwise lazy way on the other.<br /><br />I'd say that the first is not necessarily an artistic failing, but the second is. On a mysteriously sprouting third hand, there are authors (and critics) who dismiss certain subjects as unworthy of attention, and that's how you get late 20th-century critics trying to reassure their readers that, yes, strange as it may seem, someone who writes exclusively about the marriage plots of the country gentry can <i>in fact</i> be considered a great novelist. That hand is holding a lot of nonsense, but I felt it would be rude not to mention it, since it was right there.<br /><br />Can anyone "create fully?" I'm not trying to ask an Unhelpful Rhetorical; I want to hear a little more about what you think that means.<br /><br />Hope your weather stays nice!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8550058566159443898.post-67270352226093482842011-06-01T20:45:23.754-04:002011-06-01T20:45:23.754-04:00Thanks, Masha. I agree that we tend to get over-cl...Thanks, <b>Masha.</b> I agree that we tend to get over-clinical or silly about our physical experiences, and I miss the simpler and more communal side of things. Also, I hate clinicalism outside the clinic--you'll notice that I used the word 'barrenness' rather than 'infertility' (*shudder*)--so I sympathize with your thoughts.<br /><br />I think you've misread my second point. Now, I'm working anecdotally, just from my own observations at The Hog's Head and similar places, and such things can be dead wrong. But to take from it the idea that I claimed we were slaves to our emotions and had to feel good about a book some way... That's a far cry from what I meant. I was trying to point out, gently, that women seem to be kinder to men's 'fun reads' than men are to women's. I couldn't get into Tom Clancy, but sure, I'll admit he appears to be well-researched. How many guys will even read chick lit, let alone say anything nice about it?<br /><br />But that was not meant to be an all-encompassing, no-exceptions rule. And as noted, it may still be wrong.<br /><br />I agree that humanity comes before gender. But I do like gender. I like strong male and female characterizations (not stereotyped He-Man and giggly girl ones--I'm talking about artistic portrayals that speak to the heart of what it is to be male or female), and more props to the man or woman who can write the opposite sex with understanding and empathy.<br /><br />Thanks for the post!Jenna St. Hilairehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04474588706124865006noreply@blogger.com