Date: 	Thu, 18 Jan 1996 22:34:43 -1000
From: Antonio L Rappa <antonior-AT-hawaii.edu>
Subject: Re: Immigrant Travelogues



but my friend, be consoled that you err closer to the truth 
than i, which seems to make boredom both necessary and inviting. 

while your position is certainly much less provocative than mine, it 
rests on the clear advantage of that which frames us. i was merely trying 
to challenge those inhibitions. but your earnestness is disarming.

On Thu, 18 Jan 1996, Ernest Stromberg wrote:

> Sorry if i bored you but i hardly see as the claim that there are no 
> fictional texts to be tenable much less new or critically inightful.  
> But i too may be in error 
> 
> On Wed, 17 Jan 1996, Antonio L Rappa wrote:
> 
> > 
> > 
> > this "inversion" of yours merely leads back to the common conventionality 
> > that continues to dominate literature. in other words, it is rather old 
> > hat. alright, i find such explanations boring. but of course i might 
> > be mistaken.
> > 
> > On Wed, 17 Jan 1996, Ernest Stromberg wrote:
> > 
> > > I actually would describe this inversely: there are no "non-fictional" 
> > > narratives as all narratives rely on metaphor and the imaginative 
> > > techniques of imaginative writing or fiction. This makes all truth claims 
> > > or texts aspiring to the designation "non-fiction" subject to the same 
> > > interpretive claims applied to fiction.
> > > Ernest 
> > > 
> > > On Tue, 16 Jan 1996, Antonio L Rappa wrote:
> > > 
> > > > One suggestion that might aid, or perhaps subvert, your project at the 
> > > > onset is to realize that there are no fictional texts, all texts are 
> > > > non-fictional. So in this case, Naipaul's An Islamic Journey would be as
> > > >                                           ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> > > > appropriate as any other travelogue. We do not have to look very hard at 
> > > > the language to see that he distances himself from the local Malaysians by 
> > > > playing the part of a(n English) foreigner. But of course he is not 
> > > > merely playing the part, but living it.
> > > > 
> > > > With best wishes from Honolulu
> > > > 
> > > > Antonio Rappa
> > > > Dept of Political Science
> > > > University of Hawaii at Manoa
> > > > 
> > > > 
> > > >      --- from list postcolonial-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu ---
> > > > 
> > > 
> > > 
> > >      --- from list postcolonial-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu ---
> > > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> >      --- from list postcolonial-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu ---
> > 
> 
> 
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> 


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