Elizabeth Barrette (ysabetwordsmith) wrote,
Elizabeth Barrette
ysabetwordsmith
  • Mood: busy

Remembering Dossouye and Gbo

I've been talking on Dreamwidth with a friend who's posting Yoruban language lessons.  I happened to mention reading an African-themed story about a warrior woman, Dossouye, and her war-bull, Gbo.  In tracking down the reference, I discovered that the author has since written a novel:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dossouye
http://www.reindeermotel.com/CHARLES/charles_dossouye.html

I read the original short stories long ago.  They stuck in my mind as iconic examples of ethnic fiction, stories in which the local color shapes the characterization and the plot, so evocatively done that it should be pinned to the bulletin board and labeled "Like This."  I have always loved stories that come out of a particular ethnic background, a specific environment and cultural system.  In college I managed to find classes on Native American Literature and Chicana Literature.  European history and folklore are cool too, and I use them -- but I like having other options.  I like being able to read about a totally different worldview and setting.  I like being able to write about characters whose virtues, vices, and cultural expectations may be utterly unlike those presented in European-flavored fantasy.

So if you like the local color in my writing, this is one of my inspirations.
Tags: ethnic studies, fantasy, like this, networking, personal, reading, writing
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  • 5 comments
marina_bonomi

marina_bonomi

March 5 2011, 20:53:28 UTC 10 years ago

Ah, yes! I like his Imaro novels too, but Dossouye is really special. I remember reading the first two Dossouye stories in an anthology and being bowled over my reaction was 'I want more!!!', not only more about her, but more fantasy with roots in different traditions.
ysabetwordsmith

Yes...

ysabetwordsmith

March 5 2011, 21:00:55 UTC 10 years ago

There is more stuff like that today, now that more people have gotten into using their own heritage as inspiration. So there are Asian people writing fiction inspired by Chinese or Japanese background, and black people using Africa or diaspora inspiration, and so forth. Nnedi Okorafor and Nalo Hopkinson have put out some really awesome stuff.

Me, I'm a cultural explorer. I've always read folklore and mythology from around the world. I don't make assumptions about the good guys coming from a particular culture or perspective. *ponder* Actually, if I look at my writing, "outsider ignores local information and gets bitten on the ass by it" is a common motif.