Part Two: Empress: A Novel

This novel rendition of the life of Empress Wu, the woman warrior, is very captivating. She made numerous decisions that took the lives, exiled, or imprisoned many people, including many of her own relatives. To complicate the characterization of her rule, there were some democratic parts and the means for some people to reach their life potential without having the usual royal pedigree to access opportunities that in other periods when emperors’ reigned would have been off-limits.  There was one part that I really found interesting when she set up an urn divided into four sections for four different kinds of suggestions that her subjects might offer. 

“An imperial decree was posted up in the four corners of the Empire: ‘Any individual who has no official State duties may now address Her Supreme Majesty freely by placing their written statements in the Urn of Truth. The eastern side of the urn is reserved for recommending competent officials and for comments on sound imperial decisions. The southern side is intended for denouncing crimes and offences.  The western side is for denouncing crimes and offences. The northern side will be used for astrological predictions and reports of premonitory dreams concerning the fate of the Empire.’ “ (pp. 226-227)

In addition to this urn, she opened up her court to listen to those who would visit her with information. She eventually stopped the visits with pressure from her advisors, but kept the urn as a way to gather information and improve her policies.  

Reference:

Shan, S. (2006). Empress: A novel.  New York:  Harper Perennial.



Part One: Empress: A Novel by Shan Sa

This book is about the life course of a woman, Heavenlight who becomes Empress of China in the seventh century.  Heavenlight, a feminist of her time, rejects convention in her life seeking freedom on horseback and with archery, in poetry and in periods of ascetic living.  The feminism depicted in the story is lived out within a strict social structure. In the Wu dynasty that is part of Heavenlight’s family origins, the name “Wu” refers to “warrior” (p.29).  The book possesses exceptional descriptiveness and cruel social dynamics. 

References

Shan, S. (2006). Empress: A novel. NY: Harper Perennial

Katherine by Anchee Min

Much of this novel deals with Western Whiteness  (particularly a White woman) as Other. If you are interested in that idea I would recommend this book.  At the same time that the novel critiques Whiteness (and then embraces it simultaneously unlike the outcomes of other forms of othering ), it also critiques the Communist Party in China during the 1980s.  The trauma of the social and political setting is well encapsulated in the words of Lion Head, a key character,

Love is a song... It's all in the presentation. I worship love for its magic and power. Do I know what it is? Your're asking the wrong person. We grew up with hatred--how are we suppose to know love?

Reference

Min, A. (1995). Katherine. NY: Berkley Books.

Global Graffiti Movements

This film Bomb It: The Global Graffiti Documentary http://bombit-themovie.com/   really juxtaposes well with this article from the New York Times: "At War With São Paulo’s Establishment, Black Paint in Hand" in the Sunday January 28, 2012 paper authored by Simon Romero. Good pair of sources to teach with.

Zeitoun

Zeitoun

This is a journalist’s account about Hurricane Katrina that has not been told as much as it should regarding how homeland security and the social and natural disaster interwove to negatively impact Muslim American families and their friends, resulting in incarceration, interrogations, and accusations of terrorism.

Reference

Eggers, D. (2009). Zeitoun.  San Francisco: McSweeney’s Books.