“The Fairer Sex” Writes

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What writers would you highlight to commemorate Women’s History Month? Comment below!

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Image Source: suggestive celine (via Flickr)

March is Women’s History Month and an appropriate time to highlight some of the women’s voices that represent world literature. After all,

  • American Hillary Clinton, who is an author of five books, is running for the U.S. presidency,
  • Nigerian Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, who is an author of five books, has a TED Talk that opens our courses concerned with social justice,
  • and Pakistani Malala Yousafzai, author of one book, continues to fight for the equal education of girls and boys.

Check out these literary works from across the globe that engage discourses of women’s and gender rights in ways that are frequently subversive, occasionally confrontational, and always powerful.

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Mahasweta Devi. Image Source: TopNews

Draupadi” by Mahasweta Devi (1978)

Tags: India, South Asia, Bengali, short story

In a poor, post-colonial town in India, rumor has it that an infamous young woman, “Dopdi,” who has yet to reach the age of 30, has become a menace to local authorities. Fighting for labor rights and attacking officials without warning, she presents a dangerous local figure. Yet no one can identify her with any certainty. While the police have laid traps to draw her out of hiding in the forest, Dopdi continues to evade capture. In the end, what is meant to be Dopdi’s undoing invigorates her spirit and renders her an even more powerful threat. The best reading of this story is dependent on minimal research into the South Asian mythical epic of the Mahabharata. Themes of gender, sexual violence, and classism are strong threads in this short and powerful work. To continue the conversation addressing sexual violence as a world phenomenon and its prevalence in South Asia, attend the April 5th evening screening of India’s Daughter at the Spurlock Museum.

More Like This: Gayatri Spivak’s essay Can the Subaltern Speak? (India and postcolonial nations), most any title by Jhumpa Lahiri (India & the USA)

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Gayatri Spivak. Image Source: Rosa Luxemburg-Stiftung on Flickr

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Jhumpa Lahiri. Image Source: Il Circollo del lettori on Flickr

Nervous Conditions by Tsitsi Dangarembga (1988)

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Tsitsi Dangarembga. Image Source: Pan American Center on Flickr

Tags: Zimbabwe, Africa, English, novel

In this novel, “Tambu” is a young girl living in a country then known as Rhodesia in the 1960s. Because she is female, her ambition for academic study is not well supported by her community—that is, until her older brother suddenly dies and someone must take on a role of leadership and status to save her family from economic ruin. As Tambu is introduced to a new world of privilege, knowledge, and experience, readers examine what she leaves behind and what these sacrifices mean in shaping a new, hybrid identity. This bildungsroman succeeds in taking on the ambitious goal of engaging discourses of gender, colonialism, and competing cultures in a work deemed one of the most important to have come out of Africa. If you are a current University of Illinois student and interested in these themes and this novel in particular, consider taking a course taught by Dr. Manisha Babb. She teaches a cross-listed course called Modern African Literature offered in the English, African Studies, Comparative World Literature, and French departments, respectively as ENG 470, AFST 410, CW 410, and FR 410.

More Like This: Mariama Bâ’s Une si longue lettre (Senegal), Maria Nsué’s Ekomo (Equatorial Guinea)

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Mariama Bâ. Image Source: Wikipedia

A photo of Maria Nsue. Image Source: escritores.org

Maria Nsué. Image Source: escritores.org

Emails from Scheherazad (2003) by Mohja Kahf

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Mohja Kahf. Image Source: Aslan Media on Flickr

Tags: Syria, the Middle Eastern Diaspora, poetry

Do you remember Scheherazad(e)? She was the sole wife and queen to King Shahryar who eluded death by telling tales within tales that never ended? The stories of Aladdin, Sinbad, and Ali Baba all stem from this famous text. Mohja Kahf, a poet of Syrian descent, revisits this legacy in her compilation of poems. Emails from Scheherazad. Her bi-cultural identity informs and enriches her work, as seen in the poem “My Grandmother Washes Her Feet in the Sink of the Bathroom at Sears.” In it she describes being the product of both a Middle Eastern and an American culture. She regularly contradicts the widely held notion that being a Muslim and a woman is synonymous with being oppressed and her poems allude to globally recognizable female characters who face adversity—Eve, Malinche, Hagar, and more—suggesting a shared history and resilience. To get more connected to the local Muslim community on University campus, check out the United Muslims and Minority Advocates (UMMA) on Facebook.

More Like This: Arabian Nights/One Thousand and One Nights, Mona Eltahawy’s Headscarves and Hymens (Egypt & the USA), Ghada Abdel Aal’s I Want to Get Married (Egypt)

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Mona Eltahawy. Image Source: Aspen Institute (via Flickr)

 

A photo of Ghada Abdel Aal. Image Source Christopher Rose on Flickr

Ghada Abdel Aal. Image Source: Christopher Rose (via Flickr)

Yentl, the Yeshiva Boy by Isaac Bashevis Singer (1983)

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Barbara Streisand as Yentl. Image Source: Ziegfeld Girl on Flickr

Tags: Poland & the Jewish Diaspora, Yiddish, short story

This text is actually written by a man. Because it inherently engages questions of genders and their roles in society, and also features a female protagonist, it remains relevant to global literature that tackles issues concerning women’s lives. The main character in this work, Yentl, has been spoiled by her father as a child by being allowed to study sacred rabbinical texts, an activity strictly reserved for men in her community. When her father dies, not wanting to abandon her religious learning, she makes a plan to hide her sex and continue on her path of erudition. However, there are some unanticipated expectations associated with her new role as a male. The cinematic adaptation of Yentl starring Barbara Streisand is inextricably linked to this literary work. If you’re an enrolled student and interested in this area, seek out the Program in Jewish Culture & Society for more about works written in Yiddish and on the Jewish diaspora. A selection of the program’s courses can be found on the program’s website.

More Like This: Anne Frank, The Diary of Anne Frank, Deborah Feldman’s Unorthodox: The Scandalous Rejection of My Hasidic Roots 

A photo of Anne Frank. Image Source: Wikimedia Commons.

Anne Frank. Image Source: Wikimedia Commons

A photo of Deborah Feldman. Image Source: Zimbio

Deborah Feldman. Image Source: Zimbio

Kinsey Report” by Rosario Castellanos

An image of Rosario Castellanos. Image Source: Milagros Mata Gil on Flickr

Rosario Castellanos. Image Source: Milagros Mata Gil (via Flickr)

Tags: Mexico, Latin America, Spanish, poetry

The title of this poem refers to American sexologist Alfred Kinsey, whose published works on human sexual behavior became well known in the mid to late 20th century. While this poem makes for a quick read, it remains in the reader’s memory indefinitely. It features six different feminine voices that expound on the condition of their gender. One woman reports on her marriage which has become a hollow and juridical union of self-sacrifice and anxiety; another fears being deemed a prude for lack of sexual activity or a whore for any carnal intimacy engaged outside of marriage; a third wistfully awaits a Prince Charming who will whisk her away from any care she might have. All of the voices problematize notions of female gender and show how societal expectations and traditional roles can, to say the very least, be limiting. For ways to find more Latin American literature, see this lib guide.

More Like This: All titles by Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz (Mexico), all titles by Clarice Lispector (Brazil), Sabina Berman’s (Mexico) Entre Villa y una mujer desnuda

A drawing of Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz. Image Source: Wikipedia

A drawing of Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz. Image Source: Wikipedia

A photo of Clarice Lispector. Image source: ana.claudia on Flickr

Clarice Lispector. Image source: ana.claudia (via Flickr)

Happy reading, sharing, and happy Women’s History Month! Let us know what additional authors you would add to this conversation. Also drop by the Main Library’s Marshall Gallery (first floor, east side of the building ) to see an exhibit curated by Leanna Barcelona highlighting women’s history at the University of Illinois. If you want even more titles, visit the Undergraduate Library’s post to commemorate Women’s History Month last year.

For more posts like these, make sure to like our Facebook page, where we share a new Glocal Notes article every week of the semester.

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Yes, we’re from North Korea!

As a 1.5 generation Korean-American, two questions I get asked over and over are “Where are you from and where are you really from?” Upon hearing my answer as “I’m originally from Korea,” the next question follows “Are you from North or South Korea?” Almost all Koreans or Korean descendants living in the U.S. are from South Korea as it is exceptionally difficult to travel outside of North Korea as a North Korean. In fact, it is reported that there are just 186 North Korean refugees in the United States. “Refugee” is one of the only status markers North Koreans can hold to maintain any legal residency in the U.S.  Compare that figure of under 200 to an estimated 622,849 South Koreans or people of South Korean origin.

To start, South and North Korea are the only actively divided nations in the world.

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The Map of South and North Korea Image: Patrick Mannion.

The infographic below displays some of the great differences and divergences between the two Koreas.

North Korea v South Korea graphic by Mark McCormick for the Guardian Mark McCormick/Guardian

Infographic comparing North Korea and South Korea – graphic by Mark McCormick for the Guardian Mark McCormick/Guardian

Also, an article published in The Guardian, “South v North Korea: how do the two countries compare? Visualised” is a good starting point for finding out more about these countries’ dualities.

So, you now understand that it is extremely difficult for anything associated with North Korea to be available in the U.S. However, the collection of books I’ll introduce has been published in North Korea and was acquired by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Library.

Why is the collection important?

North Korea outranks many countries in various areas such as:

Since their divide in 1953, the two Koreas have taken separate paths. With opposing ideologies, the Koreas now differ in many aspects. The languages used on each side of the border have evolved and the economies have shifted, too. For these reasons, looking at South Korea to find more about the current state of North Korea may not yield much fruit.

Because North Korea is effectively closed off to other parts of the world, research on current issues in the country and its people are extremely challenging. However, one can learn a lot about a country by reading its books. That is why our North Korean collection is important in researching 21st century North Korea.

All of the books in North Korea are published by government agencies. By researching these print materials, one can get a glimpse of topics that were allowed to be exposed to the general public.

Click the image below to browse through the entire North Korean collection housed in our library system.

North Korean Collection at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Library

A lib guide for the North Korean Collection at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Library. Click on the image to browse the collection.

History

Interested in how North Koreans view history? Browse through the North Korean history collection. The collection features various time frames from the Kojosŏn era to current times. The collection will help you get closer to what the people of North Korea accept as the truth and you can compare it with the historical timeline of the nation’s events.

North Korean Leaders

We cannot talk about the North Korean collection without mentioning the country’s leaders. The Kim Dynasty has been at the country’s helm ever since the birth of the nation. Do check out our collection of biographies and speeches given by these leaders.

Link to Speeches of North Korean Heads of State LibGuide

Speeches of North Korean Heads of State from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Library

Resources in English

Are you interested in finding out more information about North Korea but your Korean language skills are less than perfect? The library has plenty of print and audiovisual materials that can assist you! Here are some of the titles:

Literature

Literature is one of many communicative forms used to inculcate North Koreans, young and old, with particular political views of the government. North Koreans learn from an early age that protecting their country means fighting against U.S. and Western invasion. Some of the titles listed below tell heroic stories of the people of North Korea and its leader sacrificing themselves to defend their nation.

Catalog Record of Samch'ŏlli kangsan

Samch’ŏlli kangsan (삼천리 강산)- The Land of Three Thoursand-ri, part of Immortal History Series from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Library

Catalog link to Suryŏng hyŏngsang munhak

Suryŏng hyŏngsang munhak (수령 형상 문학) Literature for Shaping a Chieftain Figure from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Library.

Language

Sixty-two years have passed since the armistice was signed. Throughout those years, the language of the two Koreas have diverged. Although mutually intelligible, one can readily recognize the differences in accents and word choices. Many linguistic changes have arrived, especially to South Korea, due to globalization which has caused the gap to grow even larger.

South Korean-North Korean Translator

With the rise of North Korean defectors settling in Korea, language became one of the rising issues. Click on the image to watch the video. From the Dream Touch for All Channel on YouTube.

As seen in the video above, software applications that bridge the gap between South and North Koreans have been developed. Also, numerous print materials that address the Korean languages are available throughout the University catalog.

North Korean – South Korean dictionaries published in South Korea

Cho, Chae-su. Nam-Pukhan Mal Pigyo Sajŏn: Chungguk, Yet Soryŏn Chiyŏk Tongpʻodŭl ŭi Uri Mal ŭl Pʻohamhan Pigyo ŏhwiron. Sŏul : Tʻodam, 1995. Print.

Pukhan ŏhwi Sajŏn. Sŏul Tʻŭkpyŏlsi : Yŏnhap Nyusŭ, 2002. Print.

Yun, Ku-byŏng., eds. Pori Kugŏ Sajŏn. Kyŏnggi-do Pʻaju-si : Pori, 2008. Print.

North Korean – South Korean dictionaries published in North Korea

Ch’oe, Ch’ang-ho., eds. Chosŏnŏ Match’umpŏp P’yŏllam. [P’yŏngyang] : Kwahak Paekkwa Sajŏn Chonghap Ch’ulp’ansa, 1994. Print.

Kim, Pŏm-ju. Uri Mal ŏhwi ŭi Ttŭt Kwa Yurae. [P’yŏngyang] : Kŭmsŏng Ch’ŏngnyŏn Ch’ulp’ansa, 2010. Print

Catalog record to Uri mal ŏhwi ŭi ttŭt kwa yurae

Uri mal ŏhwi ŭi ttŭt kwa yurae (우리 말 어휘의 뜻과 유래) Meanings and Origins of Our Words from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Library

Yi, Hyŏng-t’ae.Yu, Ŭn-jong.Chosŏn Tongŭiŏ, Panŭiŏ, Tongŭmŏ Sajŏn. [P’yŏngyang] : Kwahak Paekkwa Sajŏn Chonghap Ch’ulp’ansa, 1993. Print.

Catalog record to Chosŏn tongŭiŏ, panŭiŏ, tongŭmŏ sajŏn

Chosŏn tongŭiŏ, panŭiŏ, tongŭmŏ sajŏn (조선 동의어, 반의어, 동음어 사전) Dictionary of Synonyms, Antonyms, and Homophones from the University at Urbana-Champaign Library

Other Non-fiction books

All areas of life in North Korea have their corresponding ideologies of the “Dear Leader” and government deeply embedded within them. One example appears in The Encyclopedia of Dendrobium Kimilsungia, Kim Il-song’s flower, which is also available in Chinese.

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Kim Il-sŏng hwa chŏnsŏ (김일성 화전서) Encyclopedia of Dendrobium Kimilsungia from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Library

If you are interested in further study of the North Korean collection, feel free to contact the International and Area Studies Library at internationalref@library.illinois.edu. Also, for more posts like these, follow our Facebook page.

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