Dreaming in Scholarese
Last night, I dreamed I was writing a book called First World Mothers, Third World Others: Transnational Adoption in an Age of Global Imperialism. It was quite involving. In the dream, I was hard at work and all fired up about the project; when I woke up, I was disoriented for a few minutes, my head still in the thick of the research.
Today, I actually Googled the title, just to see. It doesn't exist. Maybe it should. . . .
Who dreams up whole titles--with colons? It's true: I am the pinhead my family has long accused me of being.
Today, I actually Googled the title, just to see. It doesn't exist. Maybe it should. . . .
Who dreams up whole titles--with colons? It's true: I am the pinhead my family has long accused me of being.
Mary K.
said:
Dear Joy,
March 22, 2009 8:09 PMI'm interested in reading your "dream book," First World Mothers, Third World Others: Transnational Adoption in an Age of Global Imperialism. Hope you've had more time "to sleep on it." I've just ordered FAMILY OF ADOPTION by Joyce Pavao. (This is also part of my interest in identity and difference.) My kids are from Colombia. My husband was born in Germany. It is fascinating. We urged our son to take Spanish in high school, in part so he'd be better equipped to go back and trace his roots, should he want to. (We have lots of family information, so I think it would be pretty do-able for him.) When he came home from registering, we were surprised to see he'd signed up for German. We asked him why. He said because that's what his dad grew up speaking. I grew up thinking I was part Sioux and went to the autumn powwows with my grandfather (who'd been adopted by them as a boy); as an adult I learned I was part Cherokee. Identity is so complex, as you surely know, given your own history (as described in The Truth Book, at least). Anyway, dream on and write on, and please keep me posted. Mary K.