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Responses for Sara Farizan, author of If You Could Be Mine
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From: Kathleen T.Horning <horning_at_education.wisc.edu>
Date: Wed, 03 Sep 2014 19:56:37 -0500
We're a few days into September (where did August go?) but we still had two outstanding questions for Sara Farizan, which she was kind enough to answer, so I am passing her responses on to you below.
And let me take this opportunity to thank both Sara Farizan and Rukhsana Khan for their books, and for joining our discussion. A special thanks goes to Elsa Marston for facilitating the discussion for the month of August.
*** Question from Megan: In your earliest iterations of this book, Sara (maybe when it was just formulating in your mind), did you already know that you wanted to include the struggle of being lesbian and closeted in an oppressive culture and the dimensions of the transgender experience in Iran? I thought the premise of Sahar thinking of sex change as a solution made for such a strong platform to explore both.
Sara's response: Yes, when I came up for the concept of the book the gender identity element was very crucial. Originally Sahar and Nasrin were going to be two young men, but I already felt that I was biting off more than I could chew and since I am a lesbian, I knew I could write from that perspective. I was initially hesitant writing trans characters because I am cisgendered and felt that it wasn't my right to tell a story belonging to people who are not often represented or represented well in the media. However, this has always been a fascinating juxtaposition for me where one form of identity is permissible and another is not. I also wanted to make the distinction between being trans and being gay and how both groups struggle in different ways. I hope it also came across that being trans or being gay is not a choice. It's not something you just try on, but something you are from a very young age and can't be changed, even if people want you to.
Question from Crystal: Sara, I do have one question that isn't so much about the writing as about the names. The main character is Sahar and I wondered about its similarity to the name Sara. I believe they have different meanings and are from different languages. Was there a reason you chose that name or did she always have that name in your mind? It stood out to me because I had a student named Sahar and people would sometimes mistakenly call her Sarah.
Sara' response: This is actually both the first time I've come across this question. If anything, I am much more like Leila, the protagonist in my new book Tell Me Again How a Crush Should Feel, which comes out in October from Algonquin. I think in envisioning what it would be like for someone like me to grow up in Iran, maybe I subconsciously picked the name Sahar, but mostly I'm just using my best friend's sisters names in all my books. :)
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Received on Wed 03 Sep 2014 07:57:03 PM CDT
Date: Wed, 03 Sep 2014 19:56:37 -0500
We're a few days into September (where did August go?) but we still had two outstanding questions for Sara Farizan, which she was kind enough to answer, so I am passing her responses on to you below.
And let me take this opportunity to thank both Sara Farizan and Rukhsana Khan for their books, and for joining our discussion. A special thanks goes to Elsa Marston for facilitating the discussion for the month of August.
*** Question from Megan: In your earliest iterations of this book, Sara (maybe when it was just formulating in your mind), did you already know that you wanted to include the struggle of being lesbian and closeted in an oppressive culture and the dimensions of the transgender experience in Iran? I thought the premise of Sahar thinking of sex change as a solution made for such a strong platform to explore both.
Sara's response: Yes, when I came up for the concept of the book the gender identity element was very crucial. Originally Sahar and Nasrin were going to be two young men, but I already felt that I was biting off more than I could chew and since I am a lesbian, I knew I could write from that perspective. I was initially hesitant writing trans characters because I am cisgendered and felt that it wasn't my right to tell a story belonging to people who are not often represented or represented well in the media. However, this has always been a fascinating juxtaposition for me where one form of identity is permissible and another is not. I also wanted to make the distinction between being trans and being gay and how both groups struggle in different ways. I hope it also came across that being trans or being gay is not a choice. It's not something you just try on, but something you are from a very young age and can't be changed, even if people want you to.
Question from Crystal: Sara, I do have one question that isn't so much about the writing as about the names. The main character is Sahar and I wondered about its similarity to the name Sara. I believe they have different meanings and are from different languages. Was there a reason you chose that name or did she always have that name in your mind? It stood out to me because I had a student named Sahar and people would sometimes mistakenly call her Sarah.
Sara' response: This is actually both the first time I've come across this question. If anything, I am much more like Leila, the protagonist in my new book Tell Me Again How a Crush Should Feel, which comes out in October from Algonquin. I think in envisioning what it would be like for someone like me to grow up in Iran, maybe I subconsciously picked the name Sahar, but mostly I'm just using my best friend's sisters names in all my books. :)
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Received on Wed 03 Sep 2014 07:57:03 PM CDT
