The Politics of Fiction - Sarah Shoemaker

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/elif_shafak_the_politics_of_fiction.html

Elif Shafak is an internationally acclaimed Turkish writer. She has built her career on writing, internationalism and politics, which happen to be my three biggest interests. Ms. Shafak’s TED talk focuses on the power of fiction to bridge personal and cultural gaps between people. She warns of the danger of isolating ourselves within “cultural ghettos” in which we only deal with others who look or think or act just as we do. She also points out that politicizing the fictional pieces that come from different cultures limits the work’s ability to connect people personally with a character who, on the surface, is not like themselves. She argues against pigeonholing authors as representatives of their entire government, nation or culture and encourages us to connect with what is fundamentally human about a piece, not fundamentally Arab, Asia, European, African etc. I was struck by Ms. Shafak’s talk because I usually think of authors as ambassadors of their specific communities. This may not be entirely untrue, but it does puts a great deal of pressure on each piece of writing to somehow hold everything about a place and a people in relatively few words. I feel that pressure when I write. Sometimes it feels like every idea has to say something about all girls or all teenagers. But fiction is about your personal imagination. That is what is so liberating about it. I’ve always imagined writing being a huge part of my career. I’ve also always dreamed of seeing the world. Elif Shafak has done both. Moreover, she is a successful female writer from a Middle Eastern country who certainly has opinions about politics, but she does not claim to speak for all women or all Middle Easterners and certainly does not limit her creativity to political issues. I admire the way she combines the three while keeping each in perspective.

Elif Shafak has a bachelors degree in International Relations, a masters degree in Gender and Woman’s Studies, and a Ph.D. in Political Science all from the Middle East Technical University in Turkey. Her thesis was titled, “Islamic Mysticism and the Circular Understanding of Time.” She published her first novel in 1998 and has been writing news articles for various publications since 2002. She currently contributes to “The Guardian,” “The New York Times,” and a number of monthly magazines in Turkey. From 2005 – 2007 she worked as an assistant professor at the Middle East Technical University in the Social Sciences department. Elif Shafak demonstrates a great deal of dedication to her education and her craft. In the time it took for her to receive her three degrees, she honed her writing skills and was able to become a successful author. She also demonstrates courage and integrity. Her political views are often controversial, as is her writing. She was indicted after publishing a novel about a Turkish and an Armenian family. Throughout the turmoil, Ms. Shafak stuck by her writing and her right to creative expression. In the last month, she has spoken out about honor killings in Turkey and faced criticism for her stance, but I doubt she’ll back down.

My life will never really match Elif Shafak’s. She spent her very early years in Turkey, but then lived in France, Spain and the United States all before she was eighteen. I have lived in the same house since I was two. I do, however, plan on studying abroad during my Junior year. I would also like to live and work abroad after college for at least a year. Macalester College, where I am going next year, has a large number of international students and places a great deal of emphasis on multiculturalism. I will try to see people as individuals instead of representatives and learn something about their personal stories rather than establishing stereotypes about a whole group. I’m interested in a degree in International Relations or Political Science. I also plan to get involved in Mac Slam. It is a spoken word poetry club that sponsors open mic nights on campus. Macalester won the College Unions Poetry Slam Invitational this year, and I’d like to compete in that within the next four years. Hopefully this will keep me involved in creative writing. I would also like to get involved in politics in Minnesota. Macalester hosts town hall meetings and caucuses during the presidential elections (Minnesota is a swing state). My goal is to help organize one of these events to get a better sense of how American politics really work. By pursuing these three avenues, I hope that I will find the career path that best suits me. Elif Shafak was a student for quite a while before she became a professional writer. I would like some work experience after getting my undergraduate degree, even if it is only as an intern. My first internship could be with a political campaign. Hopefully by pursuing internationalism, writing, politics and internships, I will find a career that fits. After college, I may pursue a master in journalism if that ends up being the best way to keep writing.