Goytisolo the anti-orientalist
Interesting article in the NYT magazine on 75 year old Juan Goytisolo, one of the best Spanish writers living in exile in Marrakesh, Morocco.
For him, writing is a political act, and it is the West, not the Islamic world, that is waging a crusade. He is a homosexual who finds gay identity politics unappealing and who lived for 40 years with a French woman he considers his only love. "I don't like ghettos," he informed me. "For me, sexuality is something fluid. I am against all we's." The words most commonly used to describe his writing are "transgressive," "subversive," "iconoclastic."
Goytisolo, writes about vanished glory of Andalusian Islamic and Jewish history, which has been destroyed by Catholicism. He says consumerism is everywhere and is quite impossible to resist, even Moroccan children want to dress in Zara and Old Navy clothes. He is gay but lives with a French woman and is not into identity politics. He has adopted his cook and driver's children as his own, and is educating them.
He lives near Jemaa el Fna, which is the heart of Morocco, and my favourite city in Morocco. The mint tea is sweet and full of flavor, as is the fresh orange juice and the sesame pancakes for breakfast.
Jemaa el Fna is a large city square where a street carnival occurs every night. The square is lit up with kerosene lanterns, Gnawa musicians, snake charmers, the ruhm of motorcycles, the din of cutlery, fresh food and a large souk. When i was their a wedding procession went through at around 12 at night with the bride dressed in white, with her bridesmaids carrying her dowry, and ululating. The henna patterns done on the hands by Berber women in the souk are strong geometric shapes instead of the intricate detailing they do in India. The henna is left on, without washing it off. So you see lots of women with black hand patterns instead of bright orange. The crafts were the most interesting and dynamic in Marrakesh, than elsewhere in Morocco. The vibrant influence of black Africa is a strong presence in Marrakesh.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/16/magazine/16goytisolo.html?ex=1302840000&en=91adfd89f123e675&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss
For him, writing is a political act, and it is the West, not the Islamic world, that is waging a crusade. He is a homosexual who finds gay identity politics unappealing and who lived for 40 years with a French woman he considers his only love. "I don't like ghettos," he informed me. "For me, sexuality is something fluid. I am against all we's." The words most commonly used to describe his writing are "transgressive," "subversive," "iconoclastic."
Goytisolo, writes about vanished glory of Andalusian Islamic and Jewish history, which has been destroyed by Catholicism. He says consumerism is everywhere and is quite impossible to resist, even Moroccan children want to dress in Zara and Old Navy clothes. He is gay but lives with a French woman and is not into identity politics. He has adopted his cook and driver's children as his own, and is educating them.
He lives near Jemaa el Fna, which is the heart of Morocco, and my favourite city in Morocco. The mint tea is sweet and full of flavor, as is the fresh orange juice and the sesame pancakes for breakfast.
Jemaa el Fna is a large city square where a street carnival occurs every night. The square is lit up with kerosene lanterns, Gnawa musicians, snake charmers, the ruhm of motorcycles, the din of cutlery, fresh food and a large souk. When i was their a wedding procession went through at around 12 at night with the bride dressed in white, with her bridesmaids carrying her dowry, and ululating. The henna patterns done on the hands by Berber women in the souk are strong geometric shapes instead of the intricate detailing they do in India. The henna is left on, without washing it off. So you see lots of women with black hand patterns instead of bright orange. The crafts were the most interesting and dynamic in Marrakesh, than elsewhere in Morocco. The vibrant influence of black Africa is a strong presence in Marrakesh.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/16/magazine/16goytisolo.html?ex=1302840000&en=91adfd89f123e675&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss
Comments