How and Why I Came to Translate Sallie Bingham's Stories

Serendipity is one of my beloved words in English which doesn’t have an exact equivalence in Turkish, my mother tongue. When I dip my fingers into the word-pool of my memory regarding our first meeting with Sallie Bingham at the enchanted Acequia Madre House in Santa Fe, serendipity is the word that I pull out. It was my first time in New Mexico and my second time as a writer-in-residence in the US. She was the founding donor and the lead benefactor of WISC.

Our brief and formal introductory talk immediately turned into a longer and friendly conversation when Sallie modestly shared that she too was a writer and was interested in epistolary literature among other genres. The novel I came to write in WISC (Women’s International Study Center) was made up of three women’s exchange of letters but the real surprise came when she shared with me her connection to Lady Mary Montagu. I had spent several years of my academic life on Lady Mary’s Turkish Letters, arguing how unique and ahead of her time she was from a feminist perspective.
Talk about serendipity...
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A Bitter Humored and Timely Play: Criticizing the Multi-Faceted Actors of Femicide in Turkey

"Mimce Kadınlar" (Women According to Mim) is a contemporary play written through feminist lenses by a team of women, who prefer not to bring their names into the foreground. It was staged in Bakırköy Altan Erbulak Sahnesi and I was informed about it thanks to my student Özde Nesil Gezici (who performed amazingly) who is among the actors. For many women today, breathing space in Turkey has been getting narrower and costlier. A certain and definitely very conservative life style has been systematically imposed on women and young girls in insidious and outrageously explicit ways through the statements made by the political figures in power. Include the legal authorities, the intimidated and partial media, security forces and so called educators who are parroting the government’s words in the same discourse.  Polarization and the extent of abasement in the political arena are appalling. The direct attacks on even moderately pro-feminist or pro-women individuals by the government authorities are beyond the imagination of -say- my parents’ generation (who are in their mid-70ties). Moreover, thanks to the grant by the feminist American author Sallie Bingham, I am engaged in recording the stories of selected Syrian women whose whole lives were destroyed within the past four years.

Well, in the midst of all these real-time dark stories, I had a great time while watching the play "Mimce Kadınlar" because of the following reasons:

1. It shows that it is still possible to stage plays with an openly feminist content, drawing attention to all forms of violence against women in Turkey, or the femicide (systematic killing of women for cultural and religious reasons). Granted that the stage used for the play belonged to Bakirkoy Municipality, long-time stronghold for CHP (social-democratic party) inhabited by an upper middle class population and Christian minorities, it is still evidence for some leftover breathing space for non-mainstream voices. The play confirms the existence of courageous, rebellious young people and their instructors, who are also the playwrights.

2. Judging from my own students, most idealist and hard-working ones are depressed and cannot see a way out of the corrupted system and radicalized conservatives who got hold of the main institutions in the country. After watching the play, you may think, "Thank God, these bright and talented young individuals managed to form their ‘enclaves’ and channeled their energies into something politically loaded and creative." So no matter how much you/we criticize them for being tied to their cell phones and other screens, they are obviously doing other good stuff, which means there is still some hope for this country.

Rapunzel is explaining the rationale for her rebellion.

Regarding the play: The range of criticism of violence against women in all forms included TV shows, morning programs which targeted women in particular, language (my favorite!), legal and education system in Turkey, fairy tales originated in Europe whose female protagonists are made to conform to their passive and traditional roles as "good girls", aloof or isolated academics who study the society without becoming part of it and of course the ancient and persistent traditions (e.g., arranged marriage). The elements causing, feeding, encouraging the current events are presented as well. There is the right balance between laughter and tears. In fact, the tears came towards the end, but were cleverly signaled in the beginning too. The imaginary heaven with she-angels clad in white is exclusively spared for the women who are victims of violence.

I appreciated the extent of rich criticism, which did not single out a specific group. In other words, the criticisms went refreshingly beyond the easy and growing "trend" in Turkey: polarization and discrimination. In fact, at the end of the play, you can find even yourself as one of the accused in the ongoing practices and justifications of violence against women. Thus, be aware!

The heroines of the Grimm Brothers in revolt.

Rehearsal in prison for 'good behavior' during a murder trial