My.Kali: Did you learn of the mistake before you went to print, or after? What happened with this?
ML: So here's the deal. I was warned that this mistake could happen, the shaz (شاذ) vs mithly (مثلي), when I was warned by someone to make sure that I’ll check the translation before it goes to print. The woman who was handling the contract at the American publishers said, well, I won't put it in the contract, but I'll just express it verbally when we go to the signing stage. The Arabic version wasn't supposed to be out until fall 2010, but I got a call from the publishers who told me the book was printed and ready for distribution. I got a digital copy and sent it to my translator from Iraq, who read it and said, “Aye carumba, pervert travels!” When I called the publisher he said that the woman who handled the contract quit. Ali, the son of the owner of the publishing house, says, “You know, if you had said to me or put it in the contract that you had wanted to look at it this before it went to print, I would have let you look at it. It wasn't in the contract.” He said the woman handling my contract never mentioned it. I guess she herself had had problems dealing with Arabic publishers. You know, Arabic language publishers are different from any other language. There's also a lot of people sell photocopied books, so it's a money-losing operation to have your book translated into Arabic, but we do it more for the publicity purpose of it.
My.Kali: Did you become aware in the difference in terminology before or after you had published?
ML: Well, I guess I knew about it, but I didn't really know that much about it. I clearly know now! I knew about the different terminology but, shaz, who would think that they would use that word?!
My.Kali: That's one very interesting thing I've heard from a lot of Arab activists. “We're basically creating a new language here, because we don't have a positive terminology for these things, and we haven't had time to change old words.” For instance, in the States, my school had a resource center for LGBT students. We said, “I'm going to the Queer Center.” Queer, which was once derogatory, has become a positive, re-owned term. A generation ago that term was awful to hear (and still and considered a negative word in the Middle East the Arab world, because it’s more of a Westernized word)
ML: I think by speaking with human rights groups working with LGBT issues in the Middle East, some of them say, “[your book translation] is a bad thing and this is a good thing. We've tried to have this discussion with the media before, and we've been unable to. But this is a good thing because your book got so many medium attentions, and now we can start the conversation.”
My.Kali: We want to get a little personal.
ML: Please! Are you a hummus queen, is that what you're going to ask?... some might say that I suppose.
My.Kali: Do you see Arabians as exotic?
ML: [In terms of my writing] it's not so much about Arabians, but for gay people in general. For many people, straight, gay, whatever, travel in itself can be very sexually liberating. I believe firmly that in terms of gay writing we shouldn't shy away from sex and sexuality. I have written on this academically. I've designed safer-sex programs for gay men who travel. With a quality story you can remove the sex and it will still be a quality story. I think this is the case with this book. But fear of talking about sex, that in itself is deadly.
ML: So here's the deal. I was warned that this mistake could happen, the shaz (شاذ) vs mithly (مثلي), when I was warned by someone to make sure that I’ll check the translation before it goes to print. The woman who was handling the contract at the American publishers said, well, I won't put it in the contract, but I'll just express it verbally when we go to the signing stage. The Arabic version wasn't supposed to be out until fall 2010, but I got a call from the publishers who told me the book was printed and ready for distribution. I got a digital copy and sent it to my translator from Iraq, who read it and said, “Aye carumba, pervert travels!” When I called the publisher he said that the woman who handled the contract quit. Ali, the son of the owner of the publishing house, says, “You know, if you had said to me or put it in the contract that you had wanted to look at it this before it went to print, I would have let you look at it. It wasn't in the contract.” He said the woman handling my contract never mentioned it. I guess she herself had had problems dealing with Arabic publishers. You know, Arabic language publishers are different from any other language. There's also a lot of people sell photocopied books, so it's a money-losing operation to have your book translated into Arabic, but we do it more for the publicity purpose of it.
My.Kali: Did you become aware in the difference in terminology before or after you had published?
ML: Well, I guess I knew about it, but I didn't really know that much about it. I clearly know now! I knew about the different terminology but, shaz, who would think that they would use that word?!
My.Kali: That's one very interesting thing I've heard from a lot of Arab activists. “We're basically creating a new language here, because we don't have a positive terminology for these things, and we haven't had time to change old words.” For instance, in the States, my school had a resource center for LGBT students. We said, “I'm going to the Queer Center.” Queer, which was once derogatory, has become a positive, re-owned term. A generation ago that term was awful to hear (and still and considered a negative word in the Middle East the Arab world, because it’s more of a Westernized word)
ML: I think by speaking with human rights groups working with LGBT issues in the Middle East, some of them say, “[your book translation] is a bad thing and this is a good thing. We've tried to have this discussion with the media before, and we've been unable to. But this is a good thing because your book got so many medium attentions, and now we can start the conversation.”
My.Kali: We want to get a little personal.
ML: Please! Are you a hummus queen, is that what you're going to ask?... some might say that I suppose.
My.Kali: Do you see Arabians as exotic?
ML: [In terms of my writing] it's not so much about Arabians, but for gay people in general. For many people, straight, gay, whatever, travel in itself can be very sexually liberating. I believe firmly that in terms of gay writing we shouldn't shy away from sex and sexuality. I have written on this academically. I've designed safer-sex programs for gay men who travel. With a quality story you can remove the sex and it will still be a quality story. I think this is the case with this book. But fear of talking about sex, that in itself is deadly.
<Previous First page>
On Michael T. Luongo's Book:
Michael T. Luongo is a freelance writer, editor and photographer specializing in travel. His book “Gay travels in the Muslim world” is now on stands, also in Arabic transcripts, all available on Amazon.com. “The idea came to me when doing Between the Palms which had about a third of its stories set in the Middle East and other Muslim countries.” The award winning New York based freelance writer shares. Check Michael’s official site for updates, contact-wise and more info on his book-projects (here>)
Get Book Now (here>)
Get Book Now (here>)