Keith wrote:
"I think I just got it!! And, of course, it is personal, but
Nina I liked! Ms. Hendricks' characters -- at least in first
three -- I didn't.
"Good enough."
Absolutely. I certainly wasn't trying to convince you that
you should like her writing if you don't. That's entirely
personal, as you note.
I was just commenting on the odd phenomenon of adding
qualifying adjectives to non-male noir. As Juri notes, this
is a very usual thing to add an "other" adjective for
non-hegemonic (blame the academic jargon on me, not Juri)
writers. And it's not just gender. We do it with race,
sexuality, etc. I'm not saying it doesn't make sense. It
does. In fact, many writers from other perspectives,
especially the early ones, often tend to highlight that
differentness as they give voices to seldom heard
perspectives. Hendricks often does this. And readers looking
to find their previously absent selves will actively seek out
these new voices. Of course, at the same time, these writers
end up pointing out that the unquestioned attributes of the
norm to which they are responding are also social
constructions.
I find it interesting how culture promotes the idea that
there is a place for everyone and everyone should stay in
their place. In fact, doesn't much of noir and hardboiled
explore the problems that ensue when people do not stay in
their places? Don't many (all?) of Hendricks's protagonists
get in trouble for "acting like men," especially sexually?
Hell, the character in Iguana Love even grows a dick through
steroid use. Or maybe they get in trouble because they can't
entirely act like men. They actively pursue and enjoy sex,
but can't ignore the emotional attachment/possession. Of
course, that's exactly how men get in trouble with noir
femmes fatales. Hendricks has simply reversed the polarity
and shows the consequences of women getting involved with
hommes fatals.
Mark
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