 | An Imperialist Love Story: Desert Romances and the War on Terror Subjects: Love stories American -- History and criticism; Erotic stories American -- History and criticism; Heroes in literature; Masculinity in literature; Desire in literature; Deserts in literature; East and West in literature; Social values in literature; A curious figure stalks the pages of a distinct subset of mass-market romance novels, aptly called "desert romances." Animalistic yet sensitive, dark and attractive, the desert prince or sheikh emanates manliness and raw, sexual power. In the years since September 11, 2001, the sheikh character has steadily risen in popularity in romance novels, even while depictions of Arab masculinity as backward and violent in nature have dominated the cultural landscape. Jarmakani Amira : Amira Jarmakani is an Associate Professor and Director of the Institute for Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and Affiliated Faculty of the Middle East Institute at Georgia State University. She is the author of Imagining Arab Womanhood: The Cultural Mythology of Veils, Harems, and Belly Dancers in the U.S. |
