CCBC-Net Archives
Muslims and Muslim Cultures--accuracy, especially camels
- Contemporary messages sorted: [ by date ] [ by subject ] [ by author ]
From: Elsa Marston <elsa.marston_at_gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 20 Aug 2014 18:33:38 -0400
*The Day of Ahmed's Secret *has produced a lot of thoughtful discussion, not just about accuracy but the basic question of the author's and illustrator's right to choose to represent--in fiction--a particular society any way they wish. As Charles said ( August 20), "A work of fiction can't be wrong." I'm sure this statement oversimplifies the point you want to make, Charles, because surely a story and/or illustration that contains patently false or derogatory or hurtful information about a particular society and its members--especially if the story is meant to be realistic rather than clearly fantasy or spoofy satire--can be considered
"wrong." At any rate it should not be considered above criticism simply because it's "fiction."
Personally, I have no problem with a story about poor people in Cairo.
Poverty, illiteracy, etc. are not stereotypes unless, it seems to me, that's the *only *way, or the overwhelmingly prevalent way, that a particular society is shown.
My own main criticisms of Ahmed's Secret are Ahmed's job of delivering those monstrously heavy butagaz tanks, and the colorfully bedecked camel caravan in the heart of Cairo.. Both pieces of information strike me as needlessly illogical and false, weakening the credibility and, in my opinion, the value of the story.
[But I can't resist adding something more about the camels of Cairo. In the early '90s I lived on a houseboat on the Nile with a good view of one of the major bridges over the river. Every weekend we saw camels cross that bridge--and from a little distance they did indeed have the exotic appearance of a caravan. But, alas, they were on their way from the camel market to the slaughterhouse. It was a sad reality. Actually, the camel market and the sad fate of most of the camels sold there were the inspiration for my book FREE AS THE DESERT WIND.]
Seemi Aziz wrote to me something that I think sums up this whole discussion, and I hope you won't mind, Seemi, if I pass it on. She said she talked with the illustrator, Ted Lewin, about the inaccuracies in Ahmed's Secret some years back, and he explained that the authors had sent the publisher photographs, which were passed on to him. He reproduced images "without research or questions"--and had no connection with the authors. Now he insists on actually going to the place he is depicting.
So that's certainly an argument for flexibility in the author-illustrator relationshiip!
(And I still regard publication of THE DAY OF AHMED'S SECRET as cause for rejoicing--because it was a door-opener.)
Meanwhile, this week is galloping along. Maybe it's time to focus on kites, Rukhsana Khan, and KING FOR A DAY!
Elsa www.elsamarston.com
==== CCBC-Net Use ==== You are currently subscribed to ccbc-net as: ccbc-archive_at_post.education.wisc.edu.
To post to the list, send message to...
ccbc-net_at_lists.wisc.edu
To receive messages in digest format, send a blank message to...
digest-ccbc-net_at_lists.wisc.edu
To unsubscribe, send a blank message to...
leave-ccbc-net_at_lists.wisc.edu
==== CCBC-Net Archives ==== The CCBC-Net archives are available to all CCBC-Net listserv members. The archives are organized by month and year. A list of discussion topics (including month/year) is available at...
http://www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/ccbcnet/archives.asp
To access the archives, go to...
http://ccbc.education.wisc.edu/ccbc-net
...and enter the following when prompted...
username: ccbc-net
password: Look4Posts
Received on Wed 20 Aug 2014 05:34:03 PM CDT
Date: Wed, 20 Aug 2014 18:33:38 -0400
*The Day of Ahmed's Secret *has produced a lot of thoughtful discussion, not just about accuracy but the basic question of the author's and illustrator's right to choose to represent--in fiction--a particular society any way they wish. As Charles said ( August 20), "A work of fiction can't be wrong." I'm sure this statement oversimplifies the point you want to make, Charles, because surely a story and/or illustration that contains patently false or derogatory or hurtful information about a particular society and its members--especially if the story is meant to be realistic rather than clearly fantasy or spoofy satire--can be considered
"wrong." At any rate it should not be considered above criticism simply because it's "fiction."
Personally, I have no problem with a story about poor people in Cairo.
Poverty, illiteracy, etc. are not stereotypes unless, it seems to me, that's the *only *way, or the overwhelmingly prevalent way, that a particular society is shown.
My own main criticisms of Ahmed's Secret are Ahmed's job of delivering those monstrously heavy butagaz tanks, and the colorfully bedecked camel caravan in the heart of Cairo.. Both pieces of information strike me as needlessly illogical and false, weakening the credibility and, in my opinion, the value of the story.
[But I can't resist adding something more about the camels of Cairo. In the early '90s I lived on a houseboat on the Nile with a good view of one of the major bridges over the river. Every weekend we saw camels cross that bridge--and from a little distance they did indeed have the exotic appearance of a caravan. But, alas, they were on their way from the camel market to the slaughterhouse. It was a sad reality. Actually, the camel market and the sad fate of most of the camels sold there were the inspiration for my book FREE AS THE DESERT WIND.]
Seemi Aziz wrote to me something that I think sums up this whole discussion, and I hope you won't mind, Seemi, if I pass it on. She said she talked with the illustrator, Ted Lewin, about the inaccuracies in Ahmed's Secret some years back, and he explained that the authors had sent the publisher photographs, which were passed on to him. He reproduced images "without research or questions"--and had no connection with the authors. Now he insists on actually going to the place he is depicting.
So that's certainly an argument for flexibility in the author-illustrator relationshiip!
(And I still regard publication of THE DAY OF AHMED'S SECRET as cause for rejoicing--because it was a door-opener.)
Meanwhile, this week is galloping along. Maybe it's time to focus on kites, Rukhsana Khan, and KING FOR A DAY!
Elsa www.elsamarston.com
==== CCBC-Net Use ==== You are currently subscribed to ccbc-net as: ccbc-archive_at_post.education.wisc.edu.
To post to the list, send message to...
ccbc-net_at_lists.wisc.edu
To receive messages in digest format, send a blank message to...
digest-ccbc-net_at_lists.wisc.edu
To unsubscribe, send a blank message to...
leave-ccbc-net_at_lists.wisc.edu
==== CCBC-Net Archives ==== The CCBC-Net archives are available to all CCBC-Net listserv members. The archives are organized by month and year. A list of discussion topics (including month/year) is available at...
http://www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/ccbcnet/archives.asp
To access the archives, go to...
http://ccbc.education.wisc.edu/ccbc-net
...and enter the following when prompted...
username: ccbc-net
password: Look4Posts
Received on Wed 20 Aug 2014 05:34:03 PM CDT
