More interesting links because I hate writing real posts

[jaebility]

Unfunny business
How religion has let society down by Franklin Veaux - A thoughtful post about sex and organized religion. "This obsession with sex extends to social ideas about morality. If someone tells you "I have strong morals" or "I believe in good moral values," you can be pretty sure that what they're talking about is sex."

Appropriate Cultural Appropriation by Nisi Shawl - Shawl uses the term "Invaders" along with "Tourists" and "Guests" to describe authors relationships with other cultures. I found that a helpful method of definition; it gives a clear distinction between respectful and ignorant methods of appropriation. "A good deal of transcultural writing's bad reputation is owing to authors and audiences who act like Invaders. In one unpublished story I've seen, the writer took a sacred song here, a tattoo there, snapped up a feast featuring roasted pig and manioc root from somewhere else and presto! South Pacific Island culture at our fingertips!"

Comments

[birgitriddle]

My problem with the second article is that my inspiration for my fantasy universes come from many places, which is a mixture of western and non-western things. Sometimes the fusion that results is...I don't know how to describe it, but it's unique to the fantasy culture that ends up being created and stuff often unintentionally gets in there. If I'm writing something in this universe, then I'd do the research, but the development of the religions in my fantasy cultures is a rather organic thing.

I don't want to go sitting at my writing constantly worrying about misappropriating stuff because that's how my brain just develops things and if I constantly questioned myself, then I'd get nowhere.

[jaebility]

It is complicated, but I think the article's more focused on writing cultures respectfully than writing them accurately. Also - this may just be my reading of it - Shawl seems to be talking more about fiction that focuses on one culture rather than an amalgamation of many cultures. Shawl isn't telling author's not to explore or create new cultures, just to be aware that those cultures belong to real people with complex identities that shouldn't be summed up as "they live in teepees!" or "they wear kimonos!" ...Not sure if that makes sense, but I hope you're able to understand at least some of my musings.

Anyway, I do think it's important not to exoticize other cultures. It's problematic, especially for someone like me, who's a newbie at this writing stuff. I think more research is needed to make sure that if I do start borrowing from/being inspired by other cultures, I understand the big picture and not just the small, cool stuff that initially interested me.

[birgitriddle]

I just have one culture that started out as a project for a 9th grade class in which we had to research two cultures and then invent a new one using aspects of both of those cultures. I chose a somewhat strange synthesis, which was Japan and the Aztecs. The culture I ended up creating has stayed with me ever since. Now I have changed aspects of the fantasy culture to respect particular things (and I don't expect that to stop as this is definitely still in development) like not making all the gods ask for blood sacrifices, especially the ones inspired by Shinto deities out of respect for the purity that is important in Shinto. In fact I have an entire story now in which the sun goddess divorces her war god husband over a disagreement dealing with sacrifice. And it's also a story about why women are the ones with the right to divorce their husband in their culture.

But yeah, that's just one example of probably many out there.

[jaebility]

That sound fascinating - I'd love to read the story about the sun goddess. I never would have thought to combine Japan with Aztecs. And interesting point about blood sacrifice vs purity. Have you posted any of it on DW?

It also sounds like you're handling it respectfully. It seems to me that the research is the key to writing foreign culture - well, writing anything, really - convincingly. The various race discussion on DW and LJ, like the big Race Fail debate from last year, has made me more aware of the work aspect of writing. I've been so used to idle day dreams that exist only to keep me entertained; writing for an audience is completely different. And it's important for writers to be aware of this, that they aren't isolated in a bubble and that their audience is made up of a variety of people with varied backgrounds, cultures, sexualities, and beliefs. The Straight White WASPy Dude Between the Ages of 18-35 doesn't - and shouldn't - apply to everyone.

[birgitriddle]

I haven't written that particular story yet (I have yet to find a way to write the longer myths in prose form that sounds like I'm telling a myth and that makes it long enough to be a short story), but I do have a couple of drabbles from that universe that I wrote for three weeks.

Stars
The Nameless One
Uncaring Creator

Most of the deities have a Hispanic type coloring except for Cocoran-bané, but he comes from the underworld and is painted as an outsider because of his coloring (skin and hair).

[jaebility]

Very interesting! I especially liked "The Nameless One" - Stories about dark and death gods always give me shivers.

Did you make up the terms "kané" and "baké?" Going by the way you use them in your stories, I surmised that "kané" is an honorific for gods and that "baké" means something like demon. Is that right?