Date: Wed, 17 Jul 1996 02:07:58 -0800
From: azfar-AT-wsu.edu (Azfar Hussain)
Subject: None or Julian's Questions


Dear Julian,

Welcome back! Your questions seem to be addressed to both Radhika and
"everybody." So let me respond.

>Are you totally sure about threatening to knock me off the list?

Well, Julian, as far as I'm concerned, I'm dead against unsubbing you or
knocking you "off the list." I'm happy that you're back, and that your
presence is now declared so copiously in your posts. Bhalo lagchhey sattyi
(that's in Bengali).


>I just asked a few questions...

Oh yeah?  You also dismissed "masculinity" as "apolitical" without telling
us how it is "guesque" (oh, this is Benglish--I mean Bengali and English
together; sorry, if my Benglish breathes badly).

By the way, your favorite Aijaz Ahmad (I greatly admire Aijaz, but don't
mistake my admiration for blind worshipping) doesn't dismiss gender in the
way that you do. In his lecture titled "The Future of Marxism" he gave in
1995 at the Bangladesh Lekhak Shibir (an organization of left writers
associated with the Bangladesh Marxist-Leninist Party, of which I'm a
member), Ahmad very much wanted the Marxists to reconsider the question of
class through zeroing in on the enormous political possibilities of gender
so as to engage Marxism more creatively. In fact, I myself discussed this
class-gender issue with Aijaz Ahmad;  transcribed his lecture, translated
it for a Bengali audience, and also wrote on it in both English and
Bengali, and I've found that Aijaz is not at all dismissive of, but is
keenly interested in, "gender." Now a line from Ahmad : "The future of
Marxism largely depends on how it engages the issues of gender." Ahmad's
"how" doesn't, of course, indicate any gruff cancellation (if you need
info. on this rather marvellous lecture, please let me know).

Now how would you look at Ahmad's position? Dismiss him, too?

>Seems to me that I have some support -- are worried about this support?

Seems that you've some chamchaas. Some people might be worried, but why
should I be?


>What happened to the two film reviews I sent to the list? Did you knock them
off?

Oh, I'm reading your reviews slooowly. Great pieces need slow-reading,
right? Discussions would follow.

>Please don't censor me.
I'm against censorship. Comrade, you'll have my support if you're censored.

Best,



Azfar Hussain

##############################
AZFAR HUSSAIN
Box# 13, 352 Avery Hall
Department of English
Washington State University
Pullman, Washington 99164-5020
Phones: 509-332-4405 (home)
        509-335-1803 (work)
E-mail: azfar-AT-wsu.edu
##############################

       




     --- from list postcolonial-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu ---