· November, 2009

Stories about Language from November, 2009

Japan: Top 60 Expressions of 2009

Pink Tentacle has translated into English all of the “Top 60 Japanese words/phrases of 2009″, released by publisher Jiyu Kokuminsha: Included are plenty of references to Japan’s recent political shake-up,...

17 November 2009

Guyana: Autobiographical

“I've always thought of autobiography as an attempt to leave behind–forever in memoriam–something more or less truthful about one's existence”: Signifyin’ Guyana wonders what the first lines of your autobiography...

17 November 2009

U.S., Europe: Immigrant Writing; Diaspora Mentality

Maud Newton writes about a newly-published anthology of immigrant writing, “Becoming Americans.” Sublime Oblivion examines the views of “Russian political analyst & nationalist Konstantin Krylov” on “international diasporas” and “the...

16 November 2009

Hungary: Comments on the Interview with Imre Kertész

The anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall has inspired Hungarian bloggers, too: they are discussing an interview with Imre Kertész, a Nobel Prize-winning Hungarian author living in Berlin, which appeared in the German newspaper Die Welt.

10 November 2009

Caribbean: French Literary Prizes

This week, two of the most prestigious French literary prizes were awarded to two French-speaking authors of African descent: The French-speaking Caribbean blogosphere has been buzzing over this double satisfaction,...

6 November 2009

Albania: Giving Directions

A Nevada Yankee in King Zog's Court writes that “Albanians are so poor at giving directions that it's easier just to take the lost soul directly to his destination than...

6 November 2009

Kenya: Are you Chikuyu or Ruo?

“Are you Chikuyu or Ruo?,” asks Proud Kikuyu Woman: “Lakini [lakini means “but” in Swahili] the one that initially used to surprise me is when I tell someone I’m Kenyan...

5 November 2009