At the Pivot of East and West

“Michael M. J. Fischer’s pathbreaking use of literature and documentary films to construct Asian ethnographies that splinter binaries and identities makes Asia, and Singapore in particular, far more fractal and dense with images and possibilities than it normally appears in social science literature. For those who know or thought they knew Singapore, this book will be a surprise. For those who don’t, Fischer introduces Singapore as having a mature, edgy, and politically engaged art scene as vibrant as any in Asia.” - Gregory Clancey, author of Earthquake Nation: The Cultural Politics of Japanese Seismicity, 1868–1930

“Michael M. J. Fischer’s extraordinary writing demonstrates how much of the inner life of a society becomes manifest by placing novels and films within the domain of ethnographic investigation. Providing access to powerful, often haunting dimensions of both individual lives and societies that are simply not available in such rich form elsewhere, this book has the potential to transform ethnographic practice.” - Byron J. Good, author of Medicine, Rationality, and Experience: An Anthropological Perspective

". . . Fischer makes a compelling argument for readers to partake in a deeper exploration of films and novels created by individuals, particularly women, in Southeast Asia. His descriptions of the films and novels highlight the diversity of talent and experience that that these artists draw from. Furthermore, Fischer effectively conveys the idea that works of fiction can portray something more truthful to experiences of war, poverty, gender, ethnicity, sexuality, and society than what has been written in historic annals or academic textbooks and that anthropology can benefit from taking these ideas seriously." - Emily Long, Journal of the Anthropological Society of Oxford