Hagedorn, Jessica

Dogeaters (Contemporary American Fiction)

Average customer rating:

(3.5): Promising Glimps Into Philippine Culture
boo.
Somewhat interesting, but weakly structured
Fascinating, challenging world
Negative

Dogeaters (Contemporary American Fiction)
Jessica Hagedorn
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 014014904X

Book Description

Jessica Hagedorn has transformed her bestselling novel about the Philippines during the reign of Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos into an equally powerful theatrical piece that is a multi-layered tour de force. As Harold Bloom writes, "Hagedorn expresses the conflicts experienced by Asian immigrants caught between cultures . . . she takes aim at racism in the U.S. and develops in her dramas the themes of displacement and the search for belonging."

<B>Jessica Hagedorn </B>is a performance artist, poet, novelist and playwright, born and raised in the Philippines. Her novels include Dogeaters (Penguin 1990) which was nominated for a National Book Award and The Gangster of Love (Penguin 1996); a short story collection, Danger and Beauty (City Lights 2002).

Customer Reviews:

(3.5): Promising Glimps Into Philippine Culture.......2007-03-17

Let me preface this by saying that I am Filipino, but have very little knowledge of what life in the Philippines is like, so in many respects this novel breaks new ground for me (although I did recognize much of the Tagalog that Hagedorn uses). That being said, I have to say that this book moves beyond being easily categorized as a transculturation text or something that simply received press because of its introduction of Filipino culture to the American populace (much in the same way that Alvarez and Garcia wrote books that could not be dismissed as simply being Latino-American fiction produced for an ethnic-hungry reading population). The style reminds me of the book "Twelve" in its fast paced movements and I especially liked the way the storylines of all of the characters had a way of intersecting with one another. I loved reading about Joey's character and also liked the way Hagedorn discusses a major problem with many Asian cultures - the problems of navigating the way with which Western culture bleeds into almost every facet of society. Hagedorn writes vivid descriptions of characters struggling with and enjoying the way Western entertainment has become the norm.

Problems with the novel? I guess one major concern is the over-emphasis on explaining what makes a Filipino a Filipino and the constant explanation of every little tidbit of Filipino culture. The way she uses language is well-done and people can understand the Tagalog without any translations, so I wish she had chosen to take a step back and not necessarily explain every cultural tidbit she thought a non-Filipino would not know. If that's what someone wanted they would have purchased a sociology textbook.

In the end, this is an entertaining read that does a good job of playing with narrative forms.

boo........2007-02-21

i thought this book would be interesting. instead, it was too intertwined with daydreams, multiple plots and different characters. it was difficult to read and hard to stay focused.

Somewhat interesting, but weakly structured.......2006-08-04

The whole idea of the postmodern novel has been rather disintegrated in this book. Hagedorn makes it seem as if giving a slice of life can never reconcile with an actual plot. If anyone has read Salman Rushdie or Marquez, that is obviously untrue. For the other folks, I'm truly sorry you haven't read anything worthwhile written in the past 30 years. In the end the entire theme of coming to age has been hastily written in the last thirty or so pages and everything else before was simple background to the terrible life that most of the characters experienced. If you want something thats almost strikingly similar in style and statire to this novel, read Ishmael Reed's phenominal Mumbo Jumbo.

Fascinating, challenging world.......2005-11-20

Hagedorn's noteworthy novel presents a story of the Philippines through a Baroque layering of interconnected plots, as the many characters swirl around in the urban landscape of Manila. As some posters have complained, the plot can be confusing because of the many interconnections. In addition to the many characters, the novel is at times overwhelming because it is so filled with named things: imported foods identified by their national origins, references to Hollywood actors and pop culture figures from both the US and the Philippines, and places in the Philippines. The density of this short novel deliberately challenges the reader to follow along by figuring out the plots' interconnections and the many cultural references. For those who aren't willing to meet the novel half way, it certainly would be easy to become lost or bored. In certain ways, I would compare this novel to the experience of entering a virtual world in which the reader has the freedom to explore a different reality. The reader's job is to engage and connect all the people and things to be found there. It is an effort worth making.

Negative.......2004-08-27

I read this book beacuse of all the good reviews. But I ended up being very disappointed. As a Filipina, I feel that this book gives a very negative portrayal of the people in the Philippines. I don't recommend this book at all.

Charlie Chan Is Dead: An Anthology of Contemporary Asian American Fiction

Average customer rating:

in response to Jack C....
I liked it.
Must take exception with previous review...
the Asian American writer's bible

Charlie Chan Is Dead: An Anthology of Contemporary Asian American Fiction

Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0140231110

Customer Reviews:

in response to Jack C...........2005-06-08

Jack, just because somebody doesn't happen to agree with your personal perspective doesn't make them "ignorant". Your perspective on the Chan and Moto films isn't the only valid view. The great Keye Luke's perspective was that the Chan films were not racist and many agree with him. That doesn't make Chan supporters "racist" or "ignorant". Their perspective is every bit as valid as yours. Chan is a symbol of justice and wisdom to many people. You should take note of the fact that he is portrayed as being superior to the white characters in HIS movies. The same is true of the Moto films. Individuals who truly love and respect Chan and Moto as cinematic heroes are in no way attempting to be "ignorant" or "racist".

I liked it........2001-07-21

Lol, it's ridiculous, Moto and Charlie Chan are degrading depictions of Asians...pure and simple; it's racist. Anybody who says otherwise is trully ignorant on the subject (i.e. the previous reviewer..no wonder he/she kept him/herself anonymous). Anyway, I liked the book, but I wouldn't say it's the bible for Asian American literature. Why? Well, some of the authors featured here in are not representive of Asian American literature (i.e. Elaine Kim, Maxine Hong Kingston, and Amy Tan). There's only one book that I know that is trully Asian American, and that would be THE BIG AIIIEEEEE! But, that doesn't mean you shouldn't get this book. There are some authors here that aren't sell-outs and this book makes a great summer read!

Must take exception with previous review..........1999-07-24

The previous reviewer of this book said: Chan/Moto movies....''all with bad foreign accents, and goof-ball social ettiquette, spouting out fortune cookie wisdom and acting in some subservient role to another stronger, non-Asian character." Clearly she's never seen the movies. Though Moto and Chan were not played by Asian actors, true, the Asian characters they played NEVER were 'subservient' to non-Asian characters. Their police/secret service colleagues - on their level, always treated them with respect. Lesser policement displayed prejudices - but they were used for comic relief and were always shown up. Chan was always unfailingly polite - which made the ill-mannered non-Asians around him seem like the boors they were, and Moto of course beat up on everybody who deserved it. There is nothing denigrating in the Chan/Moto movies for any Asian/Asian-American who is not obsessed with political correctness. (Treatment of the subservient black characters for comic relief is another matter entirely).

the Asian American writer's bible.......1999-04-21

As an Asian American not-yet-published writer myself, I find this to be a incredibly valuable collection of some of the most talented Asian American authors today. As Jessica Hagedorn wrote in her introduction, for too long has America seen Asian Americans with this Charlie Chan/Mr. Moto image in their minds, all with bad foreign accents, and goof-ball social ettiquette, spouting out fortune cookie wisdom and acting in some subservient role to another stronger, non-Asian character. Well, we're not. And it's about time that the Asian community steps up to dispel these stereotypes.

Book Description

Nothing is absolute, especially in the Philippines. It is a land of opposites, where religion, spirituality, superstition, and mystery are all present in equal doses. It is a place where Catholics consult tarot card readers and prostitutes keep shrines to the Virgin Mary. Burning Heart allows a rare glimpse into this world: the taste of cane liquor and salty stews, the sound of infectious dance music, and the hopelessness of political turmoil and violence.

Photographer Marissa Roth says "I saw the Philippines in terms of light: luminous, reflective, hard, and deeply shadowed. Filtering that light was the constant heat and humidity, a deceptive sensual salve, masking a country scarred by violence and pain." Her unflinching photographs uncover the importance of religion in the Philippines, as well as the social inequality, dire poverty, overpopulation, and ingrained class system that are all part of daily life. The poetry of Jessica Hagedorn reinforces these realities, but also shows that the simple pleasures we all experience as human beings-- dancing, eating, rejoicing, laughing-- are not absent from Philippine life. Together, these images and poetry are a deeply affecting vision of a country and its people.

Customer Reviews:

(not an accurate) Portrait of the Philippines.......2003-02-13

I recently visited the country and although I did witness the harshness and depression, that is only a small part of the image I have of the Philippines. What is portrayed in this book is mostly the depressed side of the country: prostitution, sick children, dirty streets, calamity, unhealthy locals, poverty. Like I said, although I was a witness to all of these, I was also a witness to a colorful culture, hospitality, pristine islands, wealth of natural resources, preserved native and colonial architecture, Fiestas, Filipinos who are content in their simple lives, smiling children.

A great insight for Americans.......2002-07-27

When most Americans think of the Philippines, they consider the wild excesses of Angeles City and the old Subic Bay era. This book goes beyond that image and gives the reader a more accurate view of the Philippines and its truly remarkable culture.

Great photos!.......2002-06-24

The photographs brought together a variety of interesting images of the Philippines. As an amateur photographer, I have been searching for photographic books on the Philippines and I found the contrast of beauty and harsh reality very well put together. The only drawback was the poetry. I didn't feel that it captured the emotion of the images.

Meaningful photographs........2000-03-28

This is a beautiful collection of photographs. They speak about the lives of people we hardly see in pictorial collections about the Philippines. The faces of the people are real and desperate. I am reading Bino Realuyo's Umbrella country (which I love) and these pictures almost bring to life the images in the novel. I recommend this book (and realuyo's novel too).

Beautiful, powerful photographs.......1999-07-25

I recently got to see the photographs that make up this book at the Sepia Gallery in NYC. These photos are superb and very powerful. Roth has a fantastic eye--her photographs are beautifully composed, showing great attention to the nuances and details of her subjects. She has obviously spent a lot of time immersed in Filipino life and culture--and has the skills to capture it to film. As a photographer, I found her work very inspiring. Beyond the formal qualities, her photos present very moving glimpses of Filipino life. They are very powerful and showcase a wide range of scenes. I highly recommend this collection of photos (especially if you cannot see the exhibit in person).

Average customer rating:

Dream Jungle
Just too disjointed and lacking narrative flow.
mysterious, disturbing, alluring
A Wild Ride
A Matter of Perspective

Dream Jungle
Jessica Hagedorn
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0142001090
Release Date: 2004-09-28

Book Description

Jessica Hagedorn has received wide critical acclaim for her edgy, high-energy novels chronicling the clash and embrace of American and Filipino cultures. With Dream Jungle, she achieves a new level of narrative daring.

Set in a Philippines of desperate beauty and rank corruption, Dream Jungle feverishly traces the consequences of two seemingly unrelated events: the discovery of an alleged “lost tribe” and the arrival of a celebrity-studded American film crew filming an epic Vietnam War movie. Caught in the turmoil unleashed by these two incidents are four unforgettable characters—a wealthy, iconoclastic playboy, a woman ensnared in the sex industry, a Filipino-American writer, and a jaded actor—who find themselves drawn irrevocably together in this lavish, sensual portrait of a nation in crisis.

Customer Reviews:

Dream Jungle.......2007-02-13

Loved this book. One of my new favorites. Beautiful language. Well connected and intertwined stories. Loved it!!

Just too disjointed and lacking narrative flow. .......2005-08-31

In this novel set in the Philippines in the 1970s we first meet Zamora, a wealthy Spanish landowner, as he helicopters to a remote area and discovers a small band of people who are still living the stone age. His study of this group of people seem to be his hobby and his passion.

We also meet a young girl who is a servant in his home as well as his troubled German wife who soon grows weary of her unhappy life. There's some political intrigue and some interesting characters and the story had a good chance of holding my interest. Alas, though, the author left too many connecting details out to give it a coherent narrative flow and although I continued reading, the plot never quite hung together. When I finished the book I still wasn't sure what it was about although it raised the questions that perhaps there wasn't a stone age tribe at all, but just a plot on the part of the corrupt government to give Zamora access to areas which would be politically advantageous to the dictator. If this doesn't make sense to you, it doesn't make sense to me either.

Add to this a Hollywood film crew that has come into the town to make a movie about the Vietnam War. This section of the book was probably based on the filming of "Apocalypse Now" This part seemed to flow along well until it, too, lapsed into postmodernism and left more unanswered questions.

There were some parts of the book that were extremely well done. One was the voice of the servant girl character. However, this one character was not enough to save this book from being hard to follow. On the whole, in spite of some good descriptions of the locale, Dream Jungle was too disjointed for me to recommend.

mysterious, disturbing, alluring.......2005-07-28

Such a mysterious, alluring & disturbing book! What is good: the writing. The language. The sense of place. You can feel the heat. Be utterly squashed by the poverty. Be intrigued by the characters. It's even okay that you don't know if the tribe is a hoax or not.

What is annoying: the many characters, and many POVs, so many that it's hard to keep track of them all. It is also annoying that sometimes a section on a certain character is in first person, and sometimes third.

Well worth reading.

A Wild Ride.......2004-07-30

What a ride. In short, it was a rush to read Dream Jungle. The characters are fascinating and the environment and situations these people are in this story are as equally compelling. I can't even begin to describe the book because the characters and plot lines are so layered and complex. It is woven tightly though and in the end, everything makes perfect sense. Jessica Hagedorn is one of the premiere Filipina American writers around--thank you for consistently producing outstanding work!

A Matter of Perspective.......2004-03-08

When I first encountered the work of Jessica Hagedorn, I have to admit - I found the oeuvre suspect. I read "Dogeaters" and this was my initial reaction: "As a Filipino abroad, you will be nostalgic but you will be disturbed by it. The language is pure sensationalism - but it is representative of a slice of life that we might not be proud of but seem to fall into without much examination. That "Dogeaters" is a cold, hard look at ourselves, I give her the 5 stars. The question I have for Jessica Hagedorn is, if this is deconstruction, where is the reconstruction? Do we remain "Dogeaters"?" Then, my curiosity got the better of me, I read "Gangsters of Love." I found myself easing up a little: "Perspective is another thing Hagedorn is good at. Despite destabilizing a basically linear story she plays with perspectives when she switches from Rocky to Elvis and plays around with what Elvis is thinking and feeling. The whole question of the Chinese experience is not really fully developed in this story - as if Hagedorn did not really want to go there - as if to tease us that there is more there. Maybe the story can be picked up by something like the movie Mano Po (Regal Films) or Arlene Chai's works. Nonetheless, the book ["Gangsters of Love"] is as compelling as any in its genre. After reading Dogeaters, I was convinced that Hagedorn may have missed an opportunity by not presenting a possible solution - but perhaps the cathartic nature of her work is a solution in itself. I highly recommend this book ["Gangsters of Love"] not only to the Diaspora Filipino trying to form some sense of closure but to the widest possible audience to get a sense of the Filipino immigrant experience and to begin dialogue. This piece ["Gangsters of Love"] is new dawn - a reconstruction from a deconstruction." Then I picked up "Dream Jungles" and now I find myself caught by the "cojones."

In this work, we see a more subdued but not any less forceful Hagedorn - it seems that all the angst that filled "Dogeaters" has washed away and we are left with a more penetrating piece - heavily researched and always problematizing. The problem with a forum like this one - the review section - is that it allows for perspectivism making reader response to the book less polished, more real. Since we are in the space of perspectives...

The narrative can be seen to be emanating from two central perspectives: Zamora de Lagazpi and his counterpoint Rizalina. In a funny sort of way, Hagedorn is trapped in a self-created "double-bind." While she problematizes all types of categories she inadvertently reifies them. At the hub of this tale, is Zamora de Legazpi - the son of a powerful family of the Filipino elite. Zamora is a "mestizo," personifying what the common sense understanding is of mixed Spanish and Filipino "blood." The mestizo is stereotyped as having a huge appetite and a passion for conquest the not only rivals the Spanish conquistadors but in a sense picks up from where they have left off.

Oddly enough, reality has provided Hagedorn with a convenient backdrop as she includes the account of Pigafetta. Zamora is as guilty as Pigafetta of a malignant form of "Orientalism" - actually it is more like "Primitivism." Zamora "discovers" the "Taobo" - a lost tribe of natives. Zamora makes one of the younger members Bodabil his "Wild Child." In an effort to legitimize his bizarre project - Zamora solicits the aid of his friend and college roommate journalist Ken Forbes. Who is she kidding? Anyone who is the least bit familiar with the story of the Tasadays will spot Manda Elizalde, John Nance, and the Tasadays. As I have previously written, about Robin Hemley's exceptional book, "Invented Eden: The Elusive, Disputed History of the Tasaday." The story of Emmanuel "Manda" Elizalde is as problematic as ever. If there was any reason to doubt the veracity of the story at all, it would be very involvement of Elizalde at the center and the Marcos" at the periphery - or where they? Anyway, another way to position oneself as a reader is to see things from Rizalina's perspective.

Juxtaposed against the caricature of the elite in Zamora, is the powerless imagery of Rizalina vis-à-vis not just Zamora but Moody, Mayor Fritz, and Pierce. Rizalina enters the milieu a peasant girl who comes to work for Lagazpi as a maid - the daughter of the cook actually. Zamora finds himself smitten by the young Rizalina and pursues her immediately. I am still in a quandary about the use of names - Rizalina and Zamora, is there something in that? Why would Rizal or his project be played through the personification of a young girl of 14? Oh well, stuff to keep thinking about. Rizalina's life becomes increasingly problematic. It begins when she runs away and is just as quickly abandoned by a never-do-well boyfriend - who apparently already had a wife. Rizalina finds a job as a prostitute in the metropole. Rizalina is "strong," serving as a counterpoint to Lagazpi's inherent weakness. Rizalina is nothing short of a survival machine. In a sense I found myself thinking that this is a really poignant articulation of how Filipinos negotiate survival. In the end, isn't that what we are really all about survival? Anyway, as Hagedorn's oeuvre grows - like fine wine - she just gets better with age. Back to the source... Charlie Chan anyone?

Book Description

More than a decade after its initial publication, the groundbreaking anthology Charlie Chan Is Dead remains the best available source for contemporary Asian American fiction. Edited by acclaimed novelist and National Book Award nominee Jessica Hagedorn, Charlie Chan Is Dead 2: At Home in the World brings together forty-two fresh, fascinating voices in Asian American writing—from classics by Jose Garcia Villa and Wakako Yamauchi to exciting new fiction from Akhil Sharma, Ruth Ozeki, Chang-Rae Lee, Jhumpa Lahiri, and Monique Truong. Sweeping in background and literary style, from pioneering writers to newly emerging voices from the Hmong and Korean communities, these exceptional works celebrate the full spectrum of Asian American experience and identities, transcending stereotypes and revealing the strength and vitality of Asian America today.

Customer Reviews:

Asian American Experience Through Literature.......2005-10-24

Jessica Hagedorn's second installment of the Asian American experience, CHARLIE CHAN IS DEAD 2: AT HOME WITH THE WORLD comprises of a diverse group of provocative Asian American fictional writers who share their inspiring stories. These writers are third-fifth generation Asian Americans who were either born or immigrated to the United States during the late 1950s and 1960s and lived their formative years during the 1970s and 1980s influenced by American material and popular culture, which is a significance distinction that defines their identity. This factor captures the essence of American and Asian culture, which embodies an eclectic marriage to large proportions. All the writers and their essays have merits of their own. However, it is their storytelling that reveals a shared intimacy and complexity, which forms this shared experience. The subtitle of the book is quite fitting because it best describes "home" within this diaspora of writers.

CHARLIE CHAN IS DEAD 2 is rich with Asian American culture. The dialogue and dialects reveal the various voices and faces, which journey beyond US boundaries. The essays in this collection are graphically detailed with metaphors that relate to religion, family, and Asian cuisine. These writers embrace their culture with the voices they provide for the characters they present. The writers jokingly confront stereotypes and acknowledge and understand that it is a part of their identity. The stories speak of the present but resonate with the past struggles Asian Americans have had to experience in the United States.

The essays in CHARLIE CHAN IS DEAD 2 offer a fresh mix of Asian American voices that may appeal to a younger group of readers preferably at the high school and college level. However, it is not limited to anyone interested in literature of any genre. The most helpful aspect of this volume is its bibliographical listing at the end of the book, which may encourage first-time readers of Asian American literature to read on. On a suggested note: Read Hagedorn's first edition, CHARLIE CHAN IS DEAD: AN ANTHOLOGY OF CONTEMPORARY ASIAN AMERICAN FICTION first in order to understand the progression of the Asian American literature experience.

Rich and Diverse Collection .......2005-01-31

This second volume offers readers an opportunity to follow up on the previous volume, Charlie Chan is Dead (1993). Also edited by Jessica Hagedorn, Charlie Chan is Dead 2: At Home in the World, invites readers to explore newer, perhaps alternative representations of Asian-American experience. Davies' "Hull Case", as one reviewer noted, does not focus on Asian/Asian-American issues but Davies addresses a sobering question pertinent to Asian-American relations: Can one be happily married to a person who may not understand the other person's experience? Marilyn Chin critiques a racist and materialist culture in her two parables, "Parable of the Cake" and "Moon", the latter in which two thoughtless white-male adolescents suffer at the hands of a heavy-set American girl of Chinese descent.

But the more provocative stories, Greenfeld's "Submission", Meera Nair's "Video", and David Wong Louie's "Cold-Hearted", all pursue significant albeit contemporary themes. The volume moves comfortably away from the seminal work begun by Amy Tan, Maxine Hong Kingston, and Jessica Hagedorn, each of them shaping Asian-American literature at a time in which Americans had little knowledge about Asian immigrant experience. In At Home in the World, writers ponder questions concerning family relations and the pain of its limitations, racism among Asians and other ethnicities, and the ways in which US culture shapes and forms sexual identity for immigrants.

Nora Okja Keller's "Beccah" (an excerpt from the novel, Comfort Woman), Akhil Sharma's "Surrounded by Sleep", and Nair's "Video" explore issues of religion and religious practice. Sharma's story subtly suggests that religious practice may suffer after immigration to the US but Sharma avoids heavy-handed commentary and leaves us to draw our own conclusions.

While the second volume is not flawless, for some of the stories reflect more experimentation, I would recommend this volume to readers looking for current voices writing in Asian-American literature. I would also encourage any college student who has taken an Asian-American literature course to consider Charlie Chan is Dead 2 as further work in the field. The introduction by Jessica Hagedorn and the preface by Elaine Kim are worth reading.

An Excellent Range of Voices and Cultures.......2004-07-03

Jessica Hagedorn has put together a mostly impressive collection of short stories and a few novel excerpts written by Asian Americans. From well-known names to lesser known talents, this anthology covers the wide terrain of both stylistic approaches and Asian cultures. Its writers can claim heritages from Vietnam, India, the Philippines, China, Taiwan, Japan, Cambodia, and Korea. Some stories, such as Peter Ho Davies's "The Hull Case," have little, if anything, to do with Asian culture, but most have stronger connections to cultural uniqueness. Sarah Chin's "Red Wall" follows a Chinese-American narrator as she explores the faces of China as the member of a documentary film crew. Bharati Mukherjee, in her well-known and powerful story "The Management of Grief," explores the impact on the Canadian-Indian community of a plane crash in India that kills their loved ones. Ka Vang's "Ms. Pac-Man Ruined My Gang Life" tells of a Hmong member of a girl-gang who is forced by her home-girls to exact revenge on a Puerto Rican girl. Gish Jen's strong "Who's Irish?" is movingly told in broken but lucid English by a Chinese woman who doesn't like the wildness in her half-Irish granddaughter. Some of my favorite writers are included here: Chang-Rae Lee, Ruth Ozeki, Akhil Sharma, Mukherjee, Jhumpa Lahiri, Monique Truong. However, many of these forty-two writers were unknown to me before I read their stories, and I'm grateful Hagedorn introduced me to their work.

While some of these stories fall short of succeeding, all are well-written. The range in voices gives the reader a sense of the variety of the cultures and their individual members. I recommend this for readers of international fiction as well as Asian-Americans who long for writers who speak to their culture. This would make an excellent textbook for high school and college level courses that explore non-Western contemporary literature.

The Gangster of Love
Average customer rating:

worth the "struggle"

My Kind of Heaven

An authentic voice that redeems American literature from the canon of contemporary crap

Bridging The Cultural Divide

The book was as rocky as the characters in it.

The Gangster of Love
Jessica Hagedorn
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Asian American | United States | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Hagedorn, Jessica | Asian American | United States | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0140159703

Amazon.com

Jessica Hagedorn received high praise for her debut novel, Dogeaters, which took place in Manila. Her second book shows that Dogeaters was no fluke. The Gangster of Love opens in Manila but the action quickly moves to San Francisco and then New York before turning full circle. Hagedorn's worlds are peopled with a maelstrom of jostling, exuberant characters. The focal point of this storm of humanity is Raquel (Rocky) Rivera. The arc of her journey from Manila to the United States and back will include a boyfriend named Elvis Chang (with whom she plays in a rock band called Gangsters of Love), a daughter, a flock of drag queens, and jobs as receptionist at an acupuncture clinic and waitress at a French-Vietnamese bistro. Original, exhilarating and electric, The Gangster of Love takes a fresh look at family and questions of race, culture and identity.

Customer Reviews:

worth the "struggle".......2007-02-25

I read this book for an Asian American history class and I (as well as my entire class) really enjoyed it. Unlike other Asian American literature, Jessica Hagedorn does not FOCUS on her character's Fillipina identity but instead offers it as part of a more complicated whole. This may put some people off but for me it made Rocky's character less one dimensional and much more interesting. True, as one critic has already complained, this book is not going to go on long, nostalgic descriptions of well-loved aspects of Fillipino culture, but that's not the point. This is a fast-paced novel about a Filipina growing up in the punk scene (first in San Franscisco, then New York); it is a coming of age story. However I disagree that this book does not deserve a place in Fil-Am literature. Quite oppositely, I believe this book depicts Fil-Ams in modern American culture and how they relate to others "on the fringe" of society. That Hagedorn does not focus solely on the how ethnic her characters are helps to see them as people rather than just representatives of an ethnicity. The switches in perspective help the reader to step back from Rocky and see what life is like from the perspective of other people living in her life. This allows the reader to create a more objective understanding of Rocky and the world she lives in.

My Kind of Heaven.......2006-04-25

I was maybe thirteen or so when I bought this book, give or take a year, depending on when it was printed. Too young, I know, now that I'm seventeen and have just thoroughly read through the novel twice, to have read and understood the concept of this book. Definitely not a story for a pre-teen (the novel deals with sex, drugs, and rock-n-roll) Yeah, almost too rough for my age, but I absolutely adored this book, and Rocky Rivera has got to be one of the best developed fictional characters I have ever read about. The plot jumps back and forth a lot, some of the conversations are vague, and sometimes you wonder 'Did I lose a day? When did it start talking about this??' But overall, the book is a great read. I'd recommend it to those who enjoy interesting, painstakingly confusing (in a super good way) novels.

An authentic voice that redeems American literature from the canon of contemporary crap.......2005-07-05

Amen to Jessica Hagedorn for redeeming post-modernist American literature from stylized pretention in her novels "Dogeaters" and "Gangster of Love."
Hagedorn succeeds where Auster and De Lillo fail in capturing polychromatic angles of 1970's 80's America, as well as the chaotic and multi-dimensional experience of family, divorce, Filipina/Asian American identity and immigration from a country already heavily infused with American influence.
The layers of irony in the first page of this novel is a testimony to the story that follows.

Bridging The Cultural Divide.......2003-08-06

Interlaced in the story of Rocky Rivera (and a wonderfully developed cast of characters) is a deep sense of the rich heritage that is a Filipino upbringing. Laced with that Hagedorn grit is a consistent level of angst that immigrants feel when moving into a new cultural milieu. Hagedorn is amazing with playing within the private sphere and experience - anxious about the clash between traditional Philippine values and modern American values.

Rocky moves to San Francisco from the Philippine with her mother Milagros and brother Voltaire and is thrust into a maelstrom of personalities in the supporting cast of Elvis, Keiko, Auntie Fely and Uncle Bas. Rocky moves to New York to embark on an adventure that is not really representative of the typical Filipino immigrant experience but it is a rich space to explore a sense of displacement.

This book raises crucial questions for immigrants in general and Filipinos in particular. What is it that we should retain? What should be ready and willing to let go? Is there a point of no return? When we become American do we stop being Filipino? Do we exist in two realms? Do we exist in multiple spheres? Does this dichotomy REALLY exist or is it real because we make it so? It is not until Rocky is drawn to her father's deathbed that she comes to the realization of the chasm between what she was and what she is and what she is running away from. Which brings to mind another point - running away.

Running away is a common problem among displaced immigrants. There is that sense that one has to leave someplace to escape or run away from one's place of origin. It has to be THAT BAD. The sense of desperation is exemplified by Milagros - who is running away from Rocky's philandering father. Milagros is never comfortable in San Francisco - she is torn between what status demands and her embarrassment at being seen in what she has become. She hangs around Auntie Fely. This cultural subtlety is very difficult to pick up from one outside the milieu - when Milagros is embarrassed to be seen with Auntie Fely at the Imelda trial in New York. With one foot in the old country serving as a fulcrum and the other in the new country is little wonder that most immigrants can maintain a sense of center and remain sane. Never really forming a sense of closure but developing coping mechanisms the émigré is left to his/her own devices and is constantly nostalgic about going home. Begs the question: Where is home? Home, I guess, is a matter of perspective.

Perspective is another thing Hagedorn is good at. Despite destabilizing a basically linear story she plays with perspectives when she switches from Rocky to Elvis and plays around with what Elvis is thinking and feeling. The whole question of the Chinese experience is not really fully developed in this story - as if Hagedorn did not really want to go there - as if to tease us that there is more there. Maybe the story can be picked up by something like the movie Mano Po (Regal Films) or Arlene Chai's works. Nonetheless, the book is as compelling as any in its genre. After reading Dogeaters, I was convinced that Hagedorn may have missed an opportunity by not presenting a possible solution - but perhaps the cathartic nature of her work is a solution in itself. I highly recommend this book not only to the Diaspora Filipino trying to form some sense of closure but to the widest possible audience to get a sense of the Filipino immigrant experience and to begin dialogue. This piece is new dawn - a reconstruction from a deconstruction.

Miguel Llora

The book was as rocky as the characters in it........2002-11-27

I saw Jessica Hagedorn speak at the 92nd street Y, which is where I recieved her book. Once I began to read the book I became absorbed into her book. Jessica Hagedorn does a good job at describing the essence of the bohemian/ punk rock culture. My only problem was that the book became really confusing once in the middle. The beginning of the book was straight forward and easy to read, but once Rocky becomes pregnant , the whole book seems confusing. The book became really boring once it got to a certain point, and I became really dissapointed.

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Dangerous Music
Jessica Tarahata Hagedorn
Manufacturer: Momos Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0917672038

Average customer rating:

A unique and impressive anthology of vivid poetry

Danger and Beauty
Jessica Hagedorn
Manufacturer: City Lights Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Anthologies | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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Dogeaters (Contemporary American Fiction)
The Gangster of Love
Dream Jungle
Scheherazade Goes West
Dreaming in Cuban

ASIN: 0872863875

Book Description

Hagedorn muses about love and sex, and probes with wry humor and sharp social satire the heart-and hearbreaks-of the immigrant experience.

"Jessica Hagedorn is one of the best of a new generation of writers who are making American language new and who in the process are creating a new American Literature."-Russell Banks

"[Hagedorn] sees her native land from both near and far, with ambivalent love, the only kind of love worth writing about."-John Updike

<B>Jessica Hagedorn </B>is a performance artist, poet, playwright, and formerly a commentator on NPR. Her novel, Dogeaters, won an American Book Award. Other books include the groundbreaking Charlie Chan Is Dead: An Anthology of Contemporary Asian American Fiction and The Gangster of Love.

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A unique and impressive anthology of vivid poetry.......2002-07-12

Writer, performance artist, poet and playwright Jessica Hagedorn's Danger And Beauty is a unique and impressive anthology of vivid poetry, interspersed with the occasional brief prose scene, about everything from pet food and peep shows to the "dangerous music" of 1975. Monologues touching on mature subjects, the undeniable impact a Catholic upbringing has on one's life, and unfettered emotion distinguish Danger And Beauty as poetry that mingles with the forbidden. Sorcery: there are some people I know/whose beauty/is a crime./who make you so crazy/you don't know/whether to throw yourself/as them/or ... them./which makes/for a permanent madness./which could be/bad for you./you better be on the lookout/for such circumstances...

Suitcase: A Journal of Transcultural Traffic, Volume 3

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Suitcase: A Journal of Transcultural Traffic, Volume 3
Amos Oz , Nuruddin Farah , Seydou Keita , Saul Friedlander , Jacques Derrida , Jessica Hagedorn , Paul Celan , and Harold Pinter
Manufacturer: Suitcase: a Journal of
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Reference | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Book Description

The pages of Suitcase intertwine the freshest mix of writing, art, and photography from around the world. From Amos Oz's tale of epiphany at the border between Israeli desert and suburbia to Nuruddin Farah's account of surviving childhood, crocodiles, and colonialism in Somalia; from Jacques Derrida's reflections on politics and immigration in a new Europe to Seydou Keita's historic photographs of Mali's changing society, Suitcase's mix of international writing and art reflects a stangely familiar country in which cultures and perspectives jostle and complicate each other.

So Much Trouble in the World: Believe It or Not!

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So Much Trouble in the World: Believe It or Not!
Fred Wilson , Barbara Thompson , Mary Coffey , and Jessica Hagedorn
Manufacturer: Hood Museum of Art
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Artists, A-Z | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
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A Life on Paper: The Drawings And Lithographs of John Thomas Biggers

ASIN: 0944722318

Book Description

This is the latest of American contemporary artist Fred Wilson's views on art and its sheltering institution, the museum. Wilson is best known for site-specific installations in which he
rearranges museum collections into unusual displays of seemingly disparate objects. Using what appear to be standard curatorial and display practices, Wilson's exhibits examine unexpected relationships among objects, people, and places. Wilson developed So Much Trouble in the World at the Hood Museum of Art at Dartmouth College using the museum's permanent collection to shed light on the politics of museum collecting, cultural representation, and human nature. The exhibit raises questions about our past and its relationship to the present--whether at Dartmouth, in the wider United States, or beyond our borders. Wilson encourages viewers to scrutinize their own expectations of museums, art, and society in light of the economic and ideological mechanisms and relationships that shape them.

The essayists in this book explore Wilson's installation, including the many artists, statesmen, showmen, and nameless others whom the artist encountered while producing So Much Trouble in the World. Daniel Webster, the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair, Martin Luther King Jr., Francisco de Goya, Jacques Callot, Abraham Lincoln, Samson Occom, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Robert L. Ripley, and the horrific and tragic story of Ota Benga all have a place in this extraordinary installation and publication.

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