Blogger: Etta Wilson
Location: Books & Such Nashville Office
Weather: High 80s
In the wide-ranging sweep of topics this week, I think I’ve pushed myself and you readers to explore the subconscious for writing motivation. Certainly I want us to look at nationalities, racial groups, and languages other than our own to examine what’s being written outside our comfort zone–not as a steady diet but on occasion to get a feel for something new. After all, something new is what the market seems to seek a lot of the time.
In light of that, here are some questions for us to discuss:
1. Who is your favorite non-native-American author? Why?
2. What genres do you feel American authors write better than any other nationality?
3. What genres do you associate with other nationalities?
4. Have any of you had experience having your work translated? How did that go?
5. If you could promote your writing in one non-US country, what would it be and why?
6. Do U.S. children in general understand other cultures better or worse than children of 20 years ago?
1) My favorite non-native-American authors include Agatha Christie, Arthur C. Clarke, and Khaled Hosseini (“The Kite Runner” & “A Thousand Splendid Suns”).
2) Despite one of my favorite non-native-American authors being Arthur C. Clarke, I think American authors write science fiction better than any other nationality. Thrillers would be up there too.
3) I associate mysteries with British authors though that may be due to a class that I took at Oxford years ago on Agatha Christie, Arthur Conan Doyle, and Dorothy L. Sayers.
4) As an engineering technical writer, I think some of my work may have been translated into Russian, possibly Japanese but I have not heard whether or not there were any issues nor do I really expect to. Once my documents are signed off and delivered to NASA or any other client, it is out of my control.
5) I guess Russian or Japanese due to what I write about or may eventually write about.
6) I think children in the U.S. have a better understanding of other cultures due the internet and the various news channel that deliver 24 hour news.
I would agree with Lori’s answer to number six if we changed the word “understanding” to “knowledge”. I think their understanding was better when the world was less tech-savvy. I think kids could be kids more easily worldwide in those days of the 50s.
1. C.S. Lewis because he was the best at explaining Christianity in a way that resonated with me. (That includes the Narnia books.)I also loved L.M. Montgomery and Anne of Green Gables is probably one of my favorite books.
2. I think Americans do a lot of genres best, but especially Southern Lit. No one can write Southern novels like someone who either grew up in the South or had lived there for long periods of time.
3.I’m like Lori in that I think of British lit and authors like Sir Arthur Conan Doyle as strong in mysteries.
I loved reading Russian stories as they are deep with pain and struggle and romance. Those are the sagas and stories that go forever, over long winters!
In college I had a lit prof who made us read all Japanese novels/short stories that semester.I actually liked them, but they were very literary in that they always seemed to possess all these literary symbols and moral lessons.
Germans had all the folk tales and fairy tales, it seems.
The Jewish people gave us our Bible and I think of parables and the adventures.
4. N/A
5. Wow, I have never thought of this question before. I think of Debbie Macomber going to Australia and that part of the world–ok, that would work. LOL.
6. They are exposed to other cultures not only through TV and internet, but in the classroom. We have had days at school with international experiences and what is even more popular is to have a “sister school” in another country like Russia or Japan.
They not only exchange cultural things, but also have telecommunications and have even visited each other. The world is wide open to experience for children. We have exchange students every year in high schools. Definitely more knowledge and understanding going on.
Wow, lots of things to think about. Thanks, Etta.
Etta, I don’t feel qualified to offer opinions on authors of other nationalities, but one of my true cat story collections, What My Cat Has Taught Me About Life, was translated in two languages: 1st in Japanese and some years later into Thai. The hardback packaging for the Japanese book was adorable which made it fun. I sold all of them! One to a high school teacher who gave it to her colleague, the Japanese language teacher. A couple also sold to Japanese exchange students in town and others who could actually read it. It sold about 10,000 copies. The Thai version was also cute, but a paperback, and not as snazzy as the Japanese book. Don’t know the sales numbers. But since I knew neither language, I have no idea how closely the translation came to the originals. So that’s my two-bits worth.
Niki, congratulations on the big success in Japan. We had a Japanese student live with us one year, and I remember how much she liked cats. It must hold for many in that country.
Crystal, I hadn’t thought about southern genre writers–and I live in the midst of them! Thanks.