Naked Reader Book Club Discussion: Foreign Affairs, Edited by Mitzi Szereto (August 23, 8-10 PM EST)

Replying to my own post to add, with some degree of guilt, that I was almost tempted to see if I could write a good story using mainly phrases scrawled on the walls of public toilets, but the challenge wasn't enough to justify the rather icky research necessary. less

Nice to see you, too, Laurel!

Liz, that's a really good question about the writers' experiences in the places they're writing about...I'm curious about that, too (trying to figure out how to reprint the question!).

Since this book is about travel or foreign lands, I'm curious if the writers have all been to these places. Basically I'm asking if when you write most of these types of stories do you usually have a personal point of reference? less

Well, the gentleman in "Melinda" was a British Asian, whereas in Dubai we're full-on Arabic. I had travelled to Dubai on two occasions, and my story was inspired by a trip I'd made during Ramadan. I suppose I have some sense of connection with the Middle East because a former partner of mine was from Iran. So I learned a bit about Middle Eastern culture, etc. I still like a lot of things about that part of the world - the food of course, but also the beauty of the architecture, the goose-bump sounds of the call to prayer, etc. It's just a fascination culture. less

Since you happened to ask, I happen to have an answer from Lisabet Sarai about that very subject.


About "Vows"

By Lisabet Sarai

I've only visited Luang Prabang, Laos, once, back in the mid-nineties. At the time, the ancient capital of the Lao kingdom possessed a quiet magic that seduced me. I vividly recall the flight there from Vientiane, on a propeller plane that barely cleared the forested mountain terrain. Looking down, I could make out the threads of foot trails winding up and down the rumpled emerald slopes and the sparkle of waterfalls tumbling off cliffs.

Luang Prabang is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, famous for its centuries-old Buddhist temples. Wat Xieng Thong, home of the monk Souvannaphone in the story, is one of the most renowned. During our stay, we watched the saffron-robed monks from the wats make their serene way along the unpaved streets. We were touched by the sense of timelessness they left in their wake.

The story began with the character of the monk. His beauty transcends desire and yet inspires it. The fact that monastic discipline forbids monks from touching women adds an element of taboo to the tale. Red-headed Dani, the uninhibited woman who sets her mind on seducing Souvannaphone, came next, and finally Michael, a conflicted bisexual who is unable to refuse his outrageous wife.

I think that the tale is pretty hot, personally, but it also has a spiritual dimension. We can't be at peace while we are denying our true needs. The Buddha taught that attachment leads to suffering, but accepting our desires and then releasing them is better than fighting them. less

Since you happened to ask, I happen to have an answer from Lisabet Sarai about that very subject.


About "Vows"

By Lisabet Sarai

I've only visited Luang Prabang, Laos, once, back in the mid-nineties. At the time, the ancient capital of the Lao kingdom possessed a quiet magic that seduced me. I vividly recall the flight there from Vientiane, on a propeller plane that barely cleared the forested mountain terrain. Looking down, I could make out the threads of foot trails winding up and down the rumpled emerald slopes and the sparkle of waterfalls tumbling off cliffs.

Luang Prabang is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, famous for its centuries-old Buddhist temples. Wat Xieng Thong, home of the monk Souvannaphone in the story, is one of the most renowned. During our stay, we watched the saffron-robed monks from the wats make their serene way along the unpaved streets. We were touched by the sense of timelessness they left in their wake.

The story began with the character of the monk. His beauty transcends desire and yet inspires it. The fact that monastic discipline forbids monks from touching women adds an element of taboo to the tale. Red-headed Dani, the uninhibited woman who sets her mind on seducing Souvannaphone, came next, and finally Michael, a conflicted bisexual who is unable to refuse his outrageous wife.

I think that the tale is pretty hot, personally, but it also has a spiritual dimension. We can't be at peace while we are denying our true needs. The Buddha taught that attachment leads to suffering, but accepting our desires and then releasing them is better than fighting them. less

Since you happened to ask, I happen to have an answer from Lisabet Sarai about that very subject.


About "Vows"

By Lisabet Sarai

I've only visited Luang Prabang, Laos, once, back in the mid-nineties. At the time, the ancient capital of the Lao kingdom possessed a quiet magic that seduced me. I vividly recall the flight there from Vientiane, on a propeller plane that barely cleared the forested mountain terrain. Looking down, I could make out the threads of foot trails winding up and down the rumpled emerald slopes and the sparkle of waterfalls tumbling off cliffs.

Luang Prabang is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, famous for its centuries-old Buddhist temples. Wat Xieng Thong, home of the monk Souvannaphone in the story, is one of the most renowned. During our stay, we watched the saffron-robed monks from the wats make their serene way along the unpaved streets. We were touched by the sense of timelessness they left in their wake.

The story began with the character of the monk. His beauty transcends desire and yet inspires it. The fact that monastic discipline forbids monks from touching women adds an element of taboo to the tale. Red-headed Dani, the uninhibited woman who sets her mind on seducing Souvannaphone, came next, and finally Michael, a conflicted bisexual who is unable to refuse his outrageous wife.

I think that the tale is pretty hot, personally, but it also has a spiritual dimension. We can't be at peace while we are denying our true needs. The Buddha taught that attachment leads to suffering, but accepting our desires and then releasing them is better than fighting them. less

Since you happened to ask, I happen to have an answer from Lisabet Sarai about that very subject.


About "Vows"

By Lisabet Sarai

I've only visited Luang Prabang, Laos, once, back in the mid-nineties. At the time, the ancient capital of the Lao kingdom possessed a quiet magic that seduced me. I vividly recall the flight there from Vientiane, on a propeller plane that barely cleared the forested mountain terrain. Looking down, I could make out the threads of foot trails winding up and down the rumpled emerald slopes and the sparkle of waterfalls tumbling off cliffs.

Luang Prabang is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, famous for its centuries-old Buddhist temples. Wat Xieng Thong, home of the monk Souvannaphone in the story, is one of the most renowned. During our stay, we watched the saffron-robed monks from the wats make their serene way along the unpaved streets. We were touched by the sense of timelessness they left in their wake.

The story began with the character of the monk. His beauty transcends desire and yet inspires it. The fact that monastic discipline forbids monks from touching women adds an element of taboo to the tale. Red-headed Dani, the uninhibited woman who sets her mind on seducing Souvannaphone, came next, and finally Michael, a conflicted bisexual who is unable to refuse his outrageous wife.

I think that the tale is pretty hot, personally, but it also has a spiritual dimension. We can't be at peace while we are denying our true needs. The Buddha taught that attachment leads to suffering, but accepting our desires and then releasing them is better than fighting them. less