Parallel Realities’: Salman Rushdie’s Experiment with Transmedia Narratives.”

Tawnya Ravy George Washington University “Parallel Realities”: Salman Rushdie’s Experiment with Transmedia Narratives In September 2011 Salman Rushdie began his first blog post on a popular blog site called Tumblr. It was at this time that he was experimenting with a variety of online social media outlets including Facebook and Twitter. The first post on his blog was a story fragment which over the ensuing days became a complete short story as he posted more and more “episodes.” The short story titled “A Globe of Heaven” was quickly circulated throughout the internet through reblogging, sharing, and retweeting. Thanks to the blog platform and his presence on Twitter and Facebook, Rushdie’s short little story quickly gained popularity among a wider variety of readers than he has ever had before. A year later Rushdie decided to auction this story fragment, written in his own hand and illustrated by Francesco Clemente, at a Lunchbox Fund charity event. The story was auctioned for $17,000. This is just one example of the way in which Rushdie has approached new media in the past couple years; not only allowing it to shape his work, but also to shape who reads it and how they read it. Rushdie has already proven his commitment to preserving and promoting the art of storytelling, but unlike many writers of his generation, he has embraced new technology and media as a viable vehicle for reaching new audiences and writing hybrid texts. What emerges from this literary experiment is the potential for a new generation of readers to experience and invest in the art of storytelling. An analysis of his multi-media projects and social media presence allows us to creatively unpack the controversial questions that continue to frame the cultural perception of his work. This paper proposes that Rushdie’s experimentation with transmedia narratives enableS him to shape his authorial legacy and to engage new readers with old questions. This paper will explore Rushdie’s

1

transmedia projects and his online presence to evaluate Rushdie’s continued cultural relevance and the future reception of transmedia narratives. Rushdie’s recent experiments with transmedia narratives are arguably rooted in the long tradition of his literary style. In his first major work, Midnight’s Children, for example, he forges the narrative from two artistic mediums: literature and film. Rushdie has repeatedly told interviewers that his primary inspiration for becoming a writer was not a book, but the film The Wizard of Oz. It was, as he said, his “first literary influence” (The Wizard 9). For Rushdie, the film connected with the storytelling traditions of his childhood including the Arabian Nights stories and the burgeoning Bollywood film industry. In film, Rushdie saw narrative possibilities that allowed him to access the best stories. Rushdie claims that the idea for Midnight’s Children was born out of a desire to “restore the past to myself, not in the faded greys of old family-album snapshots, but whole, in CinemaScope and glorious Technicolor” (Imaginary 10). To achieve a sense of perception and memory for the novel, Rushdie has his narrator Saleem use “the metaphor of a cinema screen […] The movement towards the cinema screen is a metaphor for the narrative’s movement through time towards the present, and the book itself, as it nears contemporary events, quite deliberately loses deep perspective, becomes more ‘partial;” (13). For Rushdie, the use of film in literature helps him tell the whole story and mimic the complex processes of memory. Throughout Midnight’s Children the terminology of film, the narrative trajectory of the “scenes,” and the larger-than-life characters themselves combine the grandeur of film media and the specificity of literature. Rushdie would go on and explore the film theme in many of his other novels; notably The Satanic Verses in which he traces the life of a famed Bollywood actor.

2

Additionally, Rushdie returns to his first literary inspiration in the monograph of The Wizard of Oz which is part of a series commissioned by BFI Classics. In this text, Rushdie brings together a detailed analysis of the film (including an analysis of screen shots and the history of making the film) with his own creative work “At the Auction of the Ruby Slippers,” creating a hybrid commentary on the epic film. In this project we can see not only Rushdie’s interest in the film that inspired his story-telling career, but also a desire to experiment with multiple forms of media to tell a more complete story of The Wizard of Oz film, including the postmodern reception and the auction of the real ruby slippers. A more recent example is in his latest novel Luka and the Fire of Life, a children’s story and a video game narrative. In this text Rushdie experiments with the structure of a video game to engage young readers in a series of adventures. Through the skillful application of video game details such as additional lives, multiple levels, and “save” buttons, Rushdie can interest modern youth in the characters and stories from times past. Through the video game lens, Rushdie introduces a whole new generation to ancient mythology, historically important works of literature, and the excitement of a medieval quest. This book also reflects a larger interest in the video game as a vehicle to experience narrative. Rushdie is generally a fan of video games, and able to see the possibilities for storytelling. “There is all kinds of excursions and digressions that you can choose to go on and find many stories to participate in instead of the big story, the macro story. I think that really interests me as a storyteller because I've always thought that one of the things that the Internet and the gaming world permits as a narrative technique is to not tell the story from beginning to end—to tell stories sideways, to give alternative possibilities that the reader can, in a way, choose between” (Miller). In fact, in an interview about Luka Rushdie said

3

he would be interested if a gaming designer wanted to adapt Luka into an actual video game— a project that would be one of many other recent experiments with transmedia narratives. Rushdie’s current approach to transmedia projects has been shaped by the difficult and two-decades-long attempt to turn Midnight’s Children into a feature film. Rushdie’s ambition to combine literature and film never left him after the publication of Midnight’s Children, and the opportunity to take his story to the silver screen arrived on the heels of his novel’s second Booker Prize. Rushdie initially faced creative differences with screenwriters and producers. Later it became a political boiling point as permits to film the movie were challenged and revoked in both India and Sri Lanka. There were moments when Rushdie wanted to give up on his dream to turn the novel into a film. However, Rushdie saw the narrative potential for this project and continued to experiment with the text. For one, he eagerly embraced the changes to the original narrative as “more satisfactory than the one in the novel” (Step Across 76) instead of trying to replicate the novel exactly in film form. For Rushdie, carrying his story across different media would naturally result in a whole new creation, and one that, according to interview he gave later, would continue to improve the tale. Even before he received the opportunity to make the film, he was able to use the scripts from 1998 to adapt the novel successfully for the stage, and the resulting story was performed by the Royal Shakespeare Company in 2003. Eventually his persistence paid off, and the film adaptation of Midnight’s Children will be released in October 2012. Although Rushdie, by his own admission, sold the film rights cheaply, he retained control as the movie’s screenwriter—a project that he eagerly embraced. What emerged from the creative collaboration of the film’s director Deepa Mehta and Rushdie was, “‘not just an adaptation of the novel’ […but instead] a relative of the book. There’s a strong family resemblance’” (Appelo). Although he had to cut a lot out of the movie which can be 4

found in the book, there were also some added scenes which Rushdie admits are some of his favorite scenes. Describing the harmony between his vision and that of Deepa Mehta, Rushdie wrote: “When I suggested dropping the novel's ‘frame narration’ in which the protagonist, Saleem, tells his story retrospectively to the ‘mighty pickle woman’ Padma at the Braganza Pickle Factory, Bombay - dropping it because it was too ‘literary’ a device which, on film, would constantly break the audience's emotional engagement with the characters - Deepa said, ‘I was going to suggest that but I thought you wouldn't like it’" (“Salman Rushdie”). For Rushdie the beauty of engaging in a transmedia project like this is creating something new and completely itself: “a film that's true to the spirit of the original novel, but that also, I think, possesses its own authority, and establishes itself as a work of art in its own right.” Rushdie is also, appropriately enough, the film story’s narrator, enabling Rushdie to literally guide his story onto the silver screen. One of Rushdie’s aims in experimenting with multi-media and transmedia projects is to reach new audiences, and especially engage youth in the art of storytelling. To that end, Rushdie often sites his youngest son, Milan, as his inspiration and guide for connecting with a new generation. It is because of him, Rushdie has said, that he takes certain risks with his work. Milan’s interest in video games certainly influenced Rushdie’s construction of Luka, for example. Rushdie also followed his son’s advice in pursuing another transmedia project—setting his work to music with Booktrack. In February 2012, “In the South,” a short story written by Rushdie and previously published in the New Yorker, was available for sale on the Booktrack website set to the music of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. Citing the history of the talking film as the inspiration for this experiment, the organizers posit that altering the reading experience with music and sound will not only celebrate good literature and music, but also

5

“conjure up a new experience for a new era” (“And the New Zealand”). For Rushdie, these experiences tap into a new readership and cultivate an important intellectual curiosity in a new generation: “‘Readers and writers have a natural inclination to be curious and engaged citizens of the world […] I love Booktrack and I am intrigued to see what it can do’” (“And the New Zealand”). Though Rushdie shares a concern with many of his generation that young people are losing the ability to engage meaningfully with narrative, he also realizes the possibilities that technology and multimedia offer to interest young people in narrative. In October 2010, Rushdie and his publisher Random House commissioned work from a group of Kingston University students for Rushdie’s upcoming book Luka and the Fire of Life. A group of 10 students competed for the honor of creating an animated video of one of the chapters in the novel. Each student’s concept was reviewed by a panel of judges which included Rushdie and his son Milan. Four concepts were chosen to be made into short films, and one design took first place. As with many of his projects, Rushdie encouraged playful creativity with this competition: “‘He didn’t seem wedded to a fixed idea of how his characters should look but seemed extremely receptive to some very individual interpretations of the figures from the book […] he didn’t latch on to those ideas that had obvious commercial appeal but, instead, selected some that were really trying to do something a bit different’” (“Animation Catches”). The results were more than mere adaptations; they were unique works on their own. The four winning videos are widely available on the internet, were once featured on the publisher’s website, and are now great additions to the novel itself. Also, Rushdie’s engagement with this project did not stop with the competition. He was so impressed by one student’s concept that he commissioned that student to use his art for the cover of the novel. By November 2011, Ben Tobitt’s work was featured on the cover of Luka.

6

“‘I think Salman Rushdie loved the way Ben got so deeply into the book,’ Mr. Gascoigne said. ‘He showed a level of engagement that couldn’t fail to please the author, and a confidence in himself that led Random House to believe he could manage a very prestigious commission’” (Kingston’s Student). In addition to the Kingston graphic art competition, Rushdie also sought to engage potential young readers by releasing a promotional video for Luka and the Fire of Life on two popular video sites: Vimeo and Youtube. The video is simple enough, with colorful, but relatively low-budget effects. The primary thread is the fact that Rushdie and several children are gathered together, taking turns reading from the novel while images from the novel fill the screen. By creating this short video and posting it to two of the most popular video websites, he not only promotes his new book, but also speaks to a new generation in what he perceives to be their language – visual and digital. Rushdie utilizes technology and social media not only to promote his transmedia projects, but also to shape his authorial legacy and to cultivate a new and growing population of readers. Using Tumblr for blogging was a new experiment for Rushdie as a writing platform and a social media venue. He did not use the blog again until the death of his close friend Christopher Hitchens in February 2012 when he posted an article that he had written for Vanity Fair about Mr. Hitchens. It is clear based on his tweets and Facebook updates at the time that Rushdie’s primary goal was to distribute the article as widely as he could rather than signal a return to his blog platform. Rather than continue with the blog format at that time, Rushdie turned his attention to Twitter. Even though he described his experience as more of a “one night stand than a marriage” with that social media tool, he has continued to use it regularly to communicate with readers, post political comments, and share updates about his current projects. In one interview, Rushdie outlined his Twitter philosophy: “‘You have to have a kind of an idea of how you use it.

7

One of the things I didn’t want to do is to use it for personal trivia. I use it for stuff that’s in my head, or books that you’re reading, or some political thing that’s going on that you want to comment on — then I think it can be very effective. But you do have to have a sort of strategy of it’” (Mustich). For many bloggers and Tweeters, Rushdie’s strategy is paying off. He now has nearly 400,000 Twitter followers and many fans on Facebook. “To Mr. Rushdie, such platforms are not just new ways to show his talents, but offer liberation of a sort, friends said. ‘He talks about being reborn digitally,’ Ms. Bahri said. When Mr. Rushdie was asked about his interest in social media at Junoon in February, he said: ‘I like reaching a new audience. The dialog is invigorating’” (Holson). Rushdie’s main uses for twitter include commenting on relevant news, shaping his celebrity status, and promoting his work or other work he admires. Analyzing his twitter feed offers a valuable insight into Rushdie’s cultural relevance. His commentary on the Aurora shooting in July sparked a heated Twitter debate that made the news in the following days. He has led successful Twitter campaigns for political, cultural, and even personal matters. It was because of his Twitter protests, for example, that Facebook agreed to reactivate his account after they deleted it because he did not use his full birth name. Following his Twitter feed also provides modern context for the author’s complicated relationship to Iran and Muslims worldwide when, for example, he receives fairly regular death threats on Twitter. Rushdie is careful to not only “call out” these death threats to his followers, but also to announce whenever he blocks a follower on Twitter. This is not the only way that Rushdie asserts control over his image. He regularly drops by articles and blogs to interject a comment in the feed, to correct a given writer’s error, and to connect to readers praising his work. Unlike many writers of his generation, Rushdie has whole-heartedly embraced the digital age, and continues in the vein of his earliest work to experiment with delivering narrative to a

8

wide variety of readers. His next project, titled The Next People, is a quasi-science-fiction television series which will air on Showtime, and attempt to address a range of themes from politics to sexuality. For Rushdie, writing in television is the next step in exploring his creative vision outside the literary realm because it provides a medium that he says is much more focused on the writer than the film industry: “Rushdie agreed that ‘my writing has always had elements of the fantastical’ but said that he was drawn to television by the comparatively high status of the writer in the process. In the movies the writer is just the servant, the employee. In television, the 60-minute series, The Wire and Mad Men and so on, the writer is the primary creative artist. ‘You have control in the way that you never have in the cinema’” (Thorpe). This authorial control combined with the creative possibilities of television is Rushdie’s ideal environment for transmedia experimentation. I would contend that following Rushdie’s narrative experiments will not only give us greater insight into his work, but also into the future role storytelling in culture and the growing value of transmedia approaches to narrative.

9

Bibliography “And the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, Booktrack Launches a New E-reader Platform.” Booktrack 8 February 2012. Web. “Animation Catches the Eye of Sir Salman Rushdie” Kingston U 26 November 2010. Web. Appelo, Tim. “Telluride 2012: Salman Rushdie on 'Midnight's Children': 'I Sold the Rights for $1”' Hollywood Reporter 2 September 2012. Web. Holson, Laura M. “From Exile to Everywhere.” New York Times 23 March 2012. Web. “Kingston Student Designs Cover of Rushdie's Latest Book” Kingston U 25 August 2011. Web. Mustich, Emma. "Salman Rushdie Fears Nothing" Salon.com 10 Feb 2012. Web. Rushdie, Salman. “More Ideas from Rushdie” Bigthink.com By Max Miller 12 November 2010. Web. Rushdie, Salman. Imaginary Homelands: Essays and Criticism 1981-1991. New York: Granta Books, 1991. ---Step Across This Line: Collected Nonfiction 1992-2002. New York: Modern Library, 2002. ---The Wizard of Oz. London: BFI Publishing, 1992. ---“Salman Rushdie on the Making of Midnight's Children” Midnights Children Official Webpage. 9 September 2012. Web. Thorpe, Vanessa. “Salman Rushdie says TV Dramas Comparable to Novels” The Guardian 11 June 2011. Web.

10