August 20, 2019

Q&A: Howard Goldblatt on Translating Literary Works and the Fiction of Wang Anyi

“Wang Anyi is one of the most critically acclaimed writers in the Chinese-speaking world.” ~Francine Prose, New York Times Book Review   Today’s Women in Translation Month featured title is Wang Anyi’s Fu Ping, translated by Howard Goldblatt. Fu Ping follows...

August 16, 2019

Book Excerpts: Translations From Heian-Era Japan

Heian-era Japan saw a flowering of literature, especially at the imperial court. Women wrote diaries, essays, poems, romances, and novels that circulated widely during and after the authors’ lives. To honor these writers, we’re closing the second week of Women...

August 15, 2019

Book Excerpt! The Pillow Bookfrom The Columbia Anthology of Japanese Essays: Zuihitsu from the Tenth to the Twenty-First Century

“The focused ramble of the traditional Japanese essay format called zuihitsu (literally, ‘following the brush’) has appealed to writers of both genders, all ages, and every class in Japanese society. Highly personal, these essays contain dollops of philosophy, odd anecdotes,...

August 14, 2019

The Marvels of the Sarashina Diary

“As the author herself says of Mount Fuji, this unique work ‘looks like nothing else in the world.’” ~David Damrosch, Harvard University   This week, we’ve been featuring works from Heian-era Japan, a period that produced an enormous amount of...

August 14, 2019

Understanding the El Paso Massacre

“The study of lone wolf terrorism takes a significant leap forward in this important book. Hamm and Spaaij provide a thoughtful analysis and critical insights about the nature of lone wolf terrorism and terrorists. The book is a must-read for...

August 13, 2019

Q&A: Dexter R. Voisin on Race-Related Violence in the United States

“Voisin powerfully shows that the violence that Chicago’s black youth experience is rooted in the nation as a whole. He untangles these complex systems and offers clear and effective solutions. This book will be illuminating for scholars, policy makers, and...

August 13, 2019

New Book Tuesday! Social Media and the Public Interest, Nexus of Global Jihad, Barriers Down

Our weekly list of new books is now available! Social Media and the Public Interest Media Regulation in the Disinformation Age Philip M. Napoli Nexus of Global Jihad Understanding Cooperation Among Terrorist Actors Assaf Moghadam Barriers Down How American Power...

August 13, 2019

Q&A: Gergana Ivanova on Unbinding The Pillow Book: The Many Lives of a Japanese Classic

“Ivanova elucidates the complex reception of [The Pillow Book] as an ongoing dialogue between the irretrievable past and the dynamic present. I cannot think of a better match between a scholar and her subject. It is a dazzling accomplishment.” ~Paul...

August 9, 2019

Book Excerpt! A Double Life

“Published in the revolutionary year of 1848, A Double Life traces the awakening of a young noblewoman who by day submits to the prose of high society matchmaking, while at night she is a poet in her dreams of true...

August 8, 2019

The 18th Century Poetry of Huimyong, Li Ye, and Lady Kasa

This week, we’ve been featuring works of female poets in translation. On Tuesday, Joshua Fogel shared his experience with Yosano Akiko’s travel writing, and yesterday, Barbara Heldt considered how Karolina Pavlova’s A Double Life took on a new life once it...

August 7, 2019

Why Supporters Don’t Care if Trump Is a Crook

“Through a clear and dispassionate comparison of the ascendance of the Klan in the 1920s and Trump in 2016, McVeigh and Estep trace the roots of white nationalism in American politics. They show how opportunistic leaders combined race, economics, culture,...

August 7, 2019

Barbara Heldt on How Translation Can Give a Book a Second Life

“Karolina Pavlova’s 1848 novel made a splash when it first appeared, and for good reason. It is interesting in form, mixing prose and poetry, and full of sharply ironic insights about Russian society of the day, especially the lives of...