The
Cultural Kernel
and the Transnational Subject
The
poems of a
transnational writer such as Meena Alexander highlight the issues of
whether a
cultural kernel of (non)interpretation exists, or is even desirable. On
the one
hand, the expression of an authentic (and therefore irreducible) self
has long
been considered a fine endeavor for a poet to pursue, but on the other
hand
communicability across cultures is a more recent ideal for many
multiculturalists…
This paper
proposes to
examine Meena Alexander’s recent work, as appearing in the Canadian
poetry
journal, Studio,
from a male, white, European point of view to see whether a cultural
kernel
then remains in her case, compared to what a constructivist, mobile,
transnational, unhomely reading inspired by Homi Bhabha, Gayatri Spivak
and
Edward Said would produce. The paper will also briefly look at other
female
poets of Indian background, writing in English.
[Read
paper...]
[Read
excerpts at The Atlantic Community...]
