Cultural Noise

[susanstinson]

With thoughtfulness I very much appreciate, a friend sent me a copy of something that someone who came to my reading at Giovanni's Room posted on a lgbt reading board. It was an appreciative response to Venus of Chalk. She called it a " a funny, touching and sad story about a group of outsiders," called the writing lyrical and wonderful, and said that I was "a poetic and graceful reader, and if anyone ever has a chance to hear her read, I definitely recommend it."

She also called Carline, the narrator, a "woman of size."

When I took a look at the message board, I saw that this phrase had sparked a series of comments about whether or not it was politically correct, whether it was silly and euphemistic or powerful.

There was not one word in response to what she actually said about the book, no interest expressed in the story, in lyricism, in the possibilities for deeper explorations in art. This in a group devoted to reading. This about an identity that defines me at a glance to strangers on the street, but which is a phrase I did not use in my work. Themes related to fat are there, for sure, but it’s a song in in complexity and expands in ripples to wash over many concerns of the flesh. Says me.

I've been thinking a lot about identity and fiction and art. I want to write about it, try to wrestle with it. Maybe quote James Baldwin:

"Love takes off the masks that we feel we cannot live without and know we cannot live within."

For now, though, I need to say that, while honoring and welcoming the praise of the first writer (I emailed her to thank her) and all of the ways I know that my books have been truly received and responded to by so many adventurous, willing people, still, I have to say it: I think this happens a lot. I think that ideas about what my books might be about are so loud in many readers' heads that they never approach to have a direct experience of their own.

This breaks my heart.

Comments

[sissyhips.livejournal.com]

that doesn't seem quite right - from what i've seen of people's reactions to your writing. it seems moreover, that people are quite personally affected, specifically because your ideas spark debate and momentum.

to raise questions, as you do, is a powerful capacity.

[susanstinson.livejournal.com]

People who read the books have very specific, personal reactions, as much to the emotions and rhythms of the fictional worlds as to the ideas, I think. People who just hear about them are a whole other kettle of fish, and so part of the question I'm thinking about is how to entice them, what the language used about the books does in that way, how and if it can shift.

[firecat]

Online forums often get distracted by language nitpicking.

[susanstinson.livejournal.com]

That's true, I hadn't thought of that.

[plasticsturgeon.livejournal.com]

Had any of those other people read your book? Because if they hadn't, there really isn't much they could have said about it.

By the way--I finished it a few days ago. I really like the way you make everyday details interesting. Considering my current impatience and short attention span, that's a real achievement.

[susanstinson.livejournal.com]

plasticsturgeon, Bless your reading eyes and your interested self.

True, if they hadn't read the book (and I'm sure that most of them hadn't), they couldn't talk about it. But, often, if someone brings up a book, especially in a book discussion forum, people respond by expressing interest in the story described or comparing it to something they themselves have read. They could even say (every author's dream, of course), "Let's read that as our October selection." To see them slide instead into a debate about identity made me very tired.

And, hey, as a member of a book group that *is* reading the book, I seriously salute you. They've got some reading group questions up on bigfatblog.com, if you need them.

[daisydumont.livejournal.com]

hello, susan. i friended you (as they say) a while back because of what juice had to say about your reading at lambda rising. i'm not much of a reader of fiction nowadays, but i've just gone to read about your novel and ordered it on the spot. promise i won't get all hung up on the "women of size" thing! (firecat is right, i think, about how message boards can take off on little things. often it's not serious people who rise up and respond to posts like that.)

[susanstinson.livejournal.com]

Hello, Daisy. Ordering the book on the spot is, of course, a cheering thing. And I hadn't realized that Purejuice plugged the DC reading -- that's very lovely. I wrote an essay in adamant defense of the reading of fiction a while back -- I posted it here in sections, and if I knew how to index it in memories, I would. But I see you love poetry, and I'm so with you in that. I'll be interested to hear what you think of the book.

[misia.livejournal.com]

On the Internet, no nit is too small to pick. Aggravating, you bet (I had a similar experience while witnessing an avalanche of discussion over the use of the term "people of size" in the subtitle of my first book). Irritating, doubly. Makes-you-want-to-slap-heads and say "JUST SHUT UP AND READ THE BOOK!"

But overall, not something that keeps people from picking up books and reading them, in my experience. I'm still earning royalties on Big Big Love -- every single month (the sales are not enormous, but there hasn't been a negative sales flow yet, and it adds up) -- four years later, so I can't think that the phraseology or the fat subject matter will put people off their feed too much.

[susanstinson.livejournal.com]

I knew that you must have trudged through some of these swamps a few times -- and yep, that's JUST what it sometimes makes me want to do.

It's clearly true that fat characters and themes draw people who are thirsty for having their reality reflected in a way that it hasn't been much to this point. I insisted on keeping "Fat Girl Dances With Rocks" as the title of my first novel because I wanted fat women to be able to find it. And yay for the ongoing success of Big Big Love.

[charlottecooper.livejournal.com]

Oh what a drag.

I got a similar thing with Fat and Proud, some journalists wrote "Cooper says..." "Cooper asserts..." stuff that I never said or asserted in the first place. Let me tell you the "Now You Can Indulge - and Bulge!" story one day.

People have so many preconceptions about fat, as well as their own very strong narratives, that it's hard to acknowledge new things, or subtle things.

It's annoying that you're getting pigeonholed as "the one who writes about fat people" to the detriment of other aspects of your work. I don't know what you can do about it, even if you wrote a book with no fat characters in it you'd still be referred to as "the one who used to write about fat people" and after that it would still be "Susan Stinson, fat writer." Can you take comfort in the idea that at least people are talking about your work, however misguidedly.

Also, whenever you put work out in the world, not everybody is going to get it, maybe people don't get it immediately, but some people will, and in time more people will too. Sometimes people don't get your/one's work in ways that you'd never expect, and their reading of it creates new meanings and reverberations for you, too.

[susanstinson.livejournal.com]

I absolutely do want to hear the "Now You Can Indulge - and Bulge!" story one day...

"People have so many preconceptions about fat, as well as their own very strong narratives, that it's hard to acknowledge new things, or subtle things."

That's my experience in a big way, again, not usually from people who have read the books, but from people hearing about them. Your faq on Fat and Proud on your website strikes me as a frank and useful discussion of some of these dilemmas, and I've thought I'd might try to get some of my own responses articulated and posted somewhere I could refer journalists and other to in the future. Flannery O'Connor and Emma Donoghue have things to say about identity in relation to fiction that I find useful, and writing about it might help me get more clear -- both on the extraordinary, rare and thrilling gifts of being read as a fat writer -- and there really are many -- I mean, the tap-dancing alone! -- and the other aspects of my work that I'd like to keep visible, and how to -- what? -- be sure that I'm attentive to them and publicly honor them, too.

I'll look for the new meanings and reverberations -- thanks for reminding me. Thanks for all of this -- it helps a lot.

[charlottecooper.livejournal.com]

Short version: pre-first book, I wanted to go to postgrad college to write about fat but was too poor to do it. So I worked out a deal where my friends sponsored me. I tried to get further sponsorship and went to my local paper, The Islington Gazette, to see if they wanted to write about plucky young me and give me some publicity. They did! A reporter came round with a photographer. They pressured me to pose with the tiniest cup and saucer in my house. They asked me about what I was going to write about and I told them. When the story came out, here's a pic of me looking like a giantess holding a miniature cup in my enormous fingers, the headline: "Charlotte Cooper Says: Now You Can Indulge...and Bulge," some misunderstood copy about fat stuff, and bugger all about my college fundraising. I can laugh about it now...

I would like to hear your ideas about writing and identity.

[susanstinson.livejournal.com]

Little tiny cup. Oh. My. God.

[charlottecooper.livejournal.com]

I know! At the time I was all like: "Why do you want me to pose with this? How about a shot of me at my desk? Or me working or something?" Those people are evil!

[beatgoddess.livejournal.com]

Boo.

[susanstinson.livejournal.com]

Yeah.