File spoon-archives/postcolonial.archive/postcolonial_1999/postcolonial.9911, message 33


Date: Fri, 12 Nov 1999 10:32:29 -0500 ()
From: Terry Goldie <tgoldie-AT-YorkU.CA>
Subject: Re: Travel Writing and Postcolonialism?


Everyone is being so delicate on this one but I suspect someone should
express some cynicism about the whole idea of anti-imperialist travel
writing. It is like that pompous distinction some would make between
"tourists" and "travellers." The ideal would seem to be western wanderers
who see everything, know everything, are agents for good and do nothing
bad. Even Gandhi didn't accomplish that one.
On the other hand, there is a range of anti-imperialist moments which
might be satisfying to at least some readers. For the most part Bruce
Chatwin's Songlines makes me nauseous but his intentions were good and
these surface at times.
Just call me a tourist in the empire
terry

Terry Goldie
English Department
York University
North York, Ontario
Canada
M3J 1P3
voice: 416-604-3670
fax: 416-736-5412
email: tgoldie-AT-yorku.ca



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