Recently, Popular Culture Review hosted a Q&A about my new book, The Work of Romance, in which I share the impetus behind the writing of my book, its influences and antecedents, among other things. Shout out to Arnoud Arps for the kind invitation!
An excerpt from the book forum:
What Is Your Book’s Central Research Question or Argument?
The popular romance genre has long been derided as unserious for many well-rehearsed reasons; its lack of literary merit, its preoccupation with excess (emotional, sensual, melodrama), its unstinting reliance on stereotypes, cliches, and tropes, its apologetism for conventional heteronormativity, to name a few. I was interested in asking, in what ways is Malay print romance a serious undertaking that defies common perception? If cultural production and circulation were indeed serious, is it tantamount to work? In what ways is it “work?” What is the relationship between writing, reading, and “women’s work?”
Why Did You Write the Book? Why Now?
There is a dearth of scholarly attention given to the production of modern Malay texts and their place in social life. Though research by scholars like Lisa Kuitert who build on the work of Ian Proudfoot, the social, political, and economic relations behind the production of textual material are coming to light. The Work of Romance joins this re-appraisal of print and book culture by focusing more intently on women, a demographic whose cultural role beyond writers and readers is under-examined.
Read the rest here.
