CAIRO: Living in Cairo for 13 years, the wackiness of daily life in such a hectic city can be exhausting, but Gretchen McCullough’s latest book Shahrazad’s Tooth captures the magic and absurdity of the city and its people with a humor few local writers have managed to achieve.

 

Shahrazad’s Tooth, a collection of short stories about people living in Cairo, highlights the cultural differences between expatriates and locals, inspired by expats and their experiences of daily life.

 

In “The Empty Flat Upstairs,” a Japanese expat struggles to cope with a culture that evades truth and places value on exaggeration and hyperbole, as her babwab continues to drive her crazy by lying to her about her upstairs neighbor. In “The Wedding Guest,” we watch an elderly tourist crash a swanky wedding in Sharm el-Sheik, and a costume designer recounts her life story.

 

“People in Cairo love to tell stories. Someone is always telling a story: taxi drivers, cleaners and maids, so I try to spend a lot of time listening,” McCullough told The Cairo Post.

 

Initially, McCullough wrote some of the stories for people living outside of Egypt. “I wanted to give people some insight about what it’s really like living here, as opposed to watching the news,” she said.

 

Nonetheless,  “Americans want the fast version, but there isn’t one. It’s been 13 years, and I keep discovering things I didn’t know. That’s why I like continuing to live here,” she said.

 

“It’s enriching,” she added.

 

McCullough has adopted Egypt as her home,and has chosen to integrate herself into Egyptian society as much as possible. “I think Cairo is a place that forces you to be flexible, whether you like it or not.  I try to have a range of friends and acquaintances,” she said.

 

Aside from teaching English and writing at the American University in Cairo, McCullough learned Arabic, and is now working on translating an Arabic novel by a Lebanese author.

 

Shahrazad’s Tooth is McCullough’s second book about life in Cairo; her previous book, 3 Stories from Cairo, was published in 2011. Poet Mohamed Metwalli translated it to Arabic, after McCullough realized many Egyptians aren’t aware of the foreign community in Egypt and their experiences and that her book could reach a different audience in Egypt.

Last week, in a study by British bank HSBC, Egypt ranked the worst out of 34 countries for expats for its considerable rise in xenophobia and political and economic instability, and increasing anti-American sentiment.

 

“Cairo’s a really complicated city,” said McCullough. “You’ve got to love that about it, but it can also be maddening. This stuff has been hard to deal with in the past year. Life has become more constrained since the revolution,” she said.

 

“The past two years, there’s been a lot of sadness and frustration, and what most Egyptians don’t know is that the expats feel it too. One time someone asked me, ‘What does that have to do with you?’ It does have to do with me because I’m in Egypt and I feel the anger, particularly because Egyptians express themselves a lot, and so you’re listening and you’re feeling,” she said.

Despite the ongoing problems, McCullough believes life in Egypt is both magical and enriching, a message that is evident inShahrazad’s Tooth.

 

“Cairo is a place where things can happen. I have a story titled ‘Cairo, throw away the script.’ You can’t have expectations, because that’s when great things can happen, and in Cairo, great things are always around the corner,” she said.

 

“Now more than ever, it is a time of possibilities, and I think a lot of people are feeling that energy. People want something different and they’re serious about it.”

 

As for her book, McCullough said, “I want my book to shed light on what it really means to live in this city and how to cope, and how people understand or misunderstand each other.”

 

Published by AFAQ publishing house with artwork designed by artist Laurance Rudic, Shahrazad’s Tooth is now sold at bookstores across Cairo, including Alef, Diwan and Shorouk and Kotob Khan.

Gretchen McCullough: Shahrazad's Tooth

Cairo 360

Born and raised in Texas, Gretchen McCullough's teaching career has taken her to Egypt, Turkey and Japan; currently, McCullough teaches writing in the Department of Rhetoric and Composition at the American University in Cairo. 

Released earlier this year, her latest publication is titled 'Shahrazad's Tooth'; a compilation of short stories revolving around a host of eccentric individuals and their experiences in Cairo. A large bulk of the stories are driven by the thoughts rummaging through the characters minds and, more often than not, they transpire to be both charming and relatable.

'Shahrazad's Tooth' has a colourful team of characters with strong presence, charisma and an air of familiarity. Digging deeper into their personal lives and problems, her writing style is distinct, bringing an American charm and non-linearity to her stories, which builds a pleasant intricacy.

With many of the characters connected by a single building in Garden City, McCullough allots the main characters in her stories as small cameos in others, spreading the characters' presence and allowing for further development. 

In 'A Little Honey and a Little Sunlight', we are given insight into the raging nature of Professor Gary by his dying neighbour, Joe Pulaski - a poet - reminiscing his days spent living in Cairo. Many pages later in 'Pure Water', we find ourselves reading from the eyes of Dr Gary as he spends time with his bulky Greek friend, Kolombos, in a mental asylum before the uprising of January 25th. The title story, meanwhile, sees two main protagonists; journalist and teacher, Mary Beth Somers, and her dentist, Dr Samy. Far from sappy, the two fall into a love which avoids the overt romantic notions seen in cliched literature, despite ending on a melancholic note.  

Aside from the characters, Cairo as a city is portrayed as an integral player in the stories. On regular occasions, vivid descriptions of popular places in the city are given, such as El Horreya, Windsor Bar, the Gezirah Club and Koshari Abou Tarek. Having visited all these places ourselves, it's obvious that McCullough has immersed herself in the city, and amongst its people, well beyond the point of a touristic escapade. She's become a sort of semi-native, in touch with Cairene culture, but maintains enough outside insight to give a new perspective to those who've been living in the city for too long.

With its mix of emotions and interesting character troupe, 'Shahrazad's Tooth' promises an entertaining, comforting read for both locals and foreigners alike.