danger of 'no' story: cultural narratives in literature classes

Danger of having NO storyBrown Bag LectureR. AzziLebanese American UniversityDecember 17, 2014

“I wrote exactly the kinds of stories I was

reading: All my characters were white and blue-eyed, they played in the snow,

they ate apples, and they talked a lot about

the weather, how lovely it was that the sun had

come out.”

The Danger of a Single Story

But what about having No story?

At all…

Literature II

The Experiment

Think

Research

Write

From Haas H. Mroue’s Beirut

I see girls in white dresseson swingson a Sunday afternoon,the soles of their feet lickingthe clouds every four seconds

I see licorice vendors,glasses tinkling in the wind,pushing their carts downdusty streets.

I see Range Rovers and flying roadblocks.a little café by the sea,Almaza beer,and a broken Ferris wheel.

“We’re published poets!”

Are we really that differentWhen the thing we export most is our freshly-graduated, able-bodied youth?A diaspora in over forty countries and we still can’t see that the blame is with our own.From Daniel Ganama’s ‘Are We Really That Different’ on Azerbaijan

Picking you by chanceYou, eastern landYou, hosting 49 countriesYou, divided into 6 culturesYou, curry, spice, sushi, hummus, vodka, and rice.

From Michele Matta’s “Asia”.

Far East Asia is viewed to be exoticTo the rest of the world that isSome stereotypes are quite moronicTo those who know that isI shall pour me some tonicAnd elaborate. List some facts that is

From Mira Sheaib’s “Far East Asia”. 

Not…Creative Writing

I see worker ants scurrying about the colony roads,Poor, dirty, and full,Carrying tea leaves, bamboo shoot trunks, and hickory nuts to be processed for the glory of the State. 

From Jade Doumani’s “Revolutions” on China.