Reading with Style discussion

20.8 - Exiles and Emmigrants - Jama's Task:
Read a book written by an author who has more or less permanently settled in a country other than his/her homeland (the country of his/her original citizenship). Or read a fiction or non-fiction account of an immigrant or political exile's experiences.

Paullina Simons was born in Leningrad, USSR, in 1963. At the age of ten her family immigrated to the United States. My physical book includes the comment that she now lives in New York City. Would she fit this task? Thanks!

Hi Deedee,

Yes, that works!

A similar question for two authors:

Jhumpa Lahiri, who is of Indian descent, was born in the UK, is now a US citizen living in the US.

Marguerite Yourcenar, Belgian, also of French heritage, lived most of her life on Mount Desert Island, Maine.

Both work Elizabeth!

Would Bram Stoker count? He was born in Ireland, moved to London after his marriage and stayed there until he died, over 30 years later.

At that time, all of Ireland was part of the UK, but it isn't now, and I think we usually go by current national borders for tasks?

I'm wondering if Masha Gessen would work for this task. She's born in 1967 in Russia, moved to USA in 1981 and then back to Russia in 1991. In 2013 she moved permanently to USA again because of persecution for being openly gay but seems to have pretty much shared her life between the two countries for quite a while: Wikipedia says that her son was born in the U.S. in 2001, for example, and she got married in the U.S. in 2004. She has dual citizenship.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masha_Ge...

I think that Michael Ondaatje will work as he was born in Sri Lanka, moved to England as a child, and eventually got Canadian citizenship.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_...

Are his books approved for this task?

Bram Stoker doesn't work because his move did not change his citizenship. Because the idea behind the task is writers writing and living away from home, we have to look at the the political borders existing in their lifetime, rather than currently.

Michael Ondaatje works, as does Masha Gessen.

Jama wrote: "Bram Stoker doesn't work because his move did not change his citizenship. Because the idea behind the task is writers writing and living away from home, we have to look at the the political borders..."

OK, thanks Jama!

Thank you Jama!

Hello. Just wondering about Sylvia Plath for this one?

She was born 1932 in Boston, Mass. After marrying Ted Hughes in 1956, according to Wiki, "The couple moved back to the United Kingdom in December 1959 and lived in London at 3 Chalcot Square", and then in Devon (also UK). Following Hughes' affair, the couple split and "In December 1962, she returned alone to London with their children, and rented, on a five-year lease, a flat at 23 Fitzroy Road". Sadly, Sylvia killed herself in 1963, but the five-year lease would suggest that she intended to remain in the UK.

Here's the link -> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sylvia_Plath

Yep, Sylvia Plath works:-)

Jama wrote: "Yep, Sylvia Plath works:-)"

Thank you, Jama.

Would this one work? Notes from a Small Island
I think he's returned to the US but it does mention that he lived in the UK as an ex-pat for twenty years.

How about Gabriel Garcí­a Márquez? Born in Colombia, he lived in many places but for the last 30+ years of his life he settled in Mexico. See under 'Death and Funeral' here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gabriel_...
"Garcia Marquez was cremated at a private family ceremony in Mexico City. On 22 April, the presidents of Colombia and Mexico attended a formal ceremony in Mexico City, where Garcia Marquez had lived for more than three decades."

I was wondering if would fit this task? It says she had to leave her country and she lives in Birmingham, England.

Hi Jama, would you consider A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James for this task? James was born in Jamaica, but has been in the US for the last ten years. He is a professor at Macalester College in Minnesota.

Thanks for your input!

Here are the authors I have found. Are they all ok? I don't know if we have to have all of these pre-approved, so I'm also sharing ideas.

Terry Hayes born in England, lived in the US and now in Sydney, Australia
Emily St. John Mandel born and raised in Canada and now lives in New York
Isabel Allende born in Peru, lived in Chile and now US
Italo Calvino born in Cuba, lived in Italy
Alexander McCall Smith born in Zimbabwe, now in Scotland
Oliver Sacks born in England, lives in the US
Derek B. Miller born in US, has lived abroad since 1996 in Israel, England, Hungary, Switzerland, and Norway.
Kazuo Ishiguro born in Japan, lives in England
Rohinton Mistry born in India, lives in Canada

Karen Michele wrote: "Here are the authors I have found. Are they all ok? I don't know if we have to have all of these pre-approved, so I'm also sharing ideas.

Terry Hayes born in England, lived in the ..."

I can answer some of these:

Ishiguro was born in Japan, to Japanese parents, and the family immigrated to the UK when he was young -- he works. As would Ministry.

McCall Smith, born in the British colony of Southern Rhodesia to British parents, does not work. Neither would Doris Lessing's The Grass is Singing.

Another I just discovered:

Niall Williams born in Ireland, now lives in New York

I'm also wondering about Gabriel Garcí­a Márquez, would he work for this task?

Also, would Oscar Wilde count as exiled?

Hi, I posted a question and I still haven't received any response. Here is the question, I posted:
Jayme(the ghost reader) wrote: "I was wondering if would fit this task? It says she had to leave her country and she lives in Birmi..

So sorry about the delay!
Gabriel Garcia Marquez works
I am Malala works as well.
Marlon James works.
Oscar Wilde works.

Give me a minute, Karen Michele, and I will check yours.

ok, Karen Michele, of the books you list, these do not work:
Niall Williams, who returned to Ireland after spending some time in the U.S.
Italo Calvino, whose parents were Italian, and who returned with Calvino to Italy when he was two.
And McCall Smith, who was a british colonist who eventually returned to Great Britan (always a British subject).

The rest work.

Sorry about the delay, Jenifer! Bill Bryson works. He moved back to the U.K. after a time in the U.S, and has more or less permanently settled there.

I think that Henri Troyat works. Can this be confirmed please?

From the Goodreads bio blurb about Troyat: "Troyat was born Levon Aslan Torossian in Moscow to parents of Armenian descent. His family fled Russia in anticipation of revolution. After a long exodus taking them to the Caucasus on to Crimea and later by sea to Constantinople and then Venice, the family finally settled in Paris in 1920, where young Troyat was schooled and later earned a law degree."

Also -- I think that Colin Cotterill works for this task too. Born in England, but has lived and worked in SE Asia for many years now. Currently lives with this wife on the Gulf of Siam.

Jama wrote: "ok, Karen Michele, of the books you list, these do not work:
Niall Williams, who returned to Ireland after spending some time in the U.S.
Italo Calvino, whose parents were Italian, and who returned..."

Thanks - that all makes sense!

Both work, Krista!

Joseph Conrad should be OK I think? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_C...

Thank you! :)

Jama wrote: "So sorry about the delay!
Gabriel Garcia Marquez works
I am Malala works as well.
Marlon James works.
Oscar Wilde works.

Give me a minute, Karen Michele, and I will check yours."

Jama wrote: "Both work, Krista!"

Thanks!

Will Abraham Verghese work? Born in Ethiopia, now lives in the US.

Yes to both Joseph Conrad and Abraham Verghese.

For Post 114, regarding Shelley Adina, I found this in an interview.

"I was born in Canada, and moved to the States when I was 26. I went to college in the US and then entered the (then) M.A. in Writing Popular Fiction program at Seton Hill University. My first book-length sale was my master’s thesis—a romance novel that was released by Harlequin the following year. The program changed to an MFA, so last year I did the extra coursework for the terminal degree. This time, my thesis was a steampunk YA novel—Lady of Devices."

While her profile says she travels the world, can we assume this move from Canada to US will suffice for this task?

I think Shelley Adina works, as it seems she is teaching in PA at the moment. It is hard to find much on her, but that seems sufficient.

Thanks, Jama.

For another project, I was looking at the profile of Tracy Chevalier, an author I think some of you read. Just in case some of you are still looking for an author for this task, she was born in Washington, DC, and she states in her profile:

Moved to London after graduating from Oberlin in 1984. I had studied for a semester in London and thought it was a great place, so came over for fun, expecting to go back to the US after 6 months to get serious. I’m still in London, and still not entirely serious. Even have dual citizenship – though I keep the American accent intact.

I wanted to check on Graeme Simsion. He is Australian but lives in New Zealand. Would he fit this task? I am looking for a spot for The Rosie Project

"20.8 - Exiles and Emmigrants - Jama's Task:
Read a book written by an author who has more or less permanently settled in a country other than his/her homeland (the country of his/her original citiz..."

If a book has two authors, do both have to be an exile/emigrant to count for Combo points, or will one do?

Lagullande wrote: "If a book has two authors, do both have to be an exile/emigrant to count for Combo points, or will one do? "

We will look at the first author named to comply with this task.

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Lagullande wrote: "If a book has two authors, do both have to be an exile/emigrant to count for Combo points, or will one do? "

We will look at the first author named to comply with this task."

Thanks, Elizabeth. That seems simple and clear (even if it's my second author who is the exile, sigh).

Would this book work?
A Nation of Immigrants by John F. Kennedy work for this task?

I think Graeme Simsion works - he's another one with not a lot of info out there. Go for it.

A nation of immigrants works as well.

cool thanks Jana :)

Would Alain de Botton work? he was born in Switzerland and lives in Britain.

Would Rabbit-Proof Fence: The True Story of One of the Greatest Escapes of All Time work for this?

It has some history of the Aboriginal people in Australia and how they were displaced in their own land by the arrival of the British -- then flashes forward to 1931 when three 'half-caste' girls were taken from their Aboriginal families and sent to a Settlement school where they were supposed to be trained to be house servants for white families. The girls fled the school and travelled across a great swath of Australia to rejoin their families.

I think that they had an exile experience in their own land! Whattya think?

Would Bernard Cornwell work for this task? He was born and raised in the UK, and moved to the US with his wife. He started writing in the US because he couldn't get a green card. He's now become a US citizen.

Alain de Botton and Bernard Cornwell work.
Unfortunately, Rabbit Proof Fence does not fit the task.