LINGUIST List 2.474

Sat 07 Sep 1991

Disc: Linguistics in Literature

Editor for this issue: <>

Directory

1. , Re: Linguistic Novels, Films/467
2. Dale Savage, Re: Linguistic Novels, Films/467
3. Herb Stahlke, Re: Linguistic Novels, Films/467
4. Richard Coates, Re: Linguistic Novels, Films/467

 <IYO1VAF%MVS.OAC.UCLA.EDUCORNELLC.cit.cornell.edu>
Reply to Larry Hutchinson: 'A Masculine Ending' by Joan Smith does not
include a conference similar to LSA, but a meeting of feminists
in Paris who argue about whether to delete all gender endings from
French nouns so as to do away with the generic masculine form. The group
is small and mainly composed of English Lit academics who do splilt
between the radical faction and the less radical faction who do not
think that the proposal will do much to broaden the 'movement' and
win over new adherents to the feminist struggle.
But thanks for mentioning it. Joan Smith is not bad -- and the
book does have linguistic aspects (but not many).
Vicki Fromkin

In reply to Peter Salus:
 Bickerton, Derek. 1979. King of the Sea. NY: Random House. (Paperback
 edition: 1981. NY: Berkley Books).
>From the inside cover:
 I had one card left to play. I played it.
 "I have a confession to make," I said.
 "Yes?"
 "I lied to you. The reports on my research. They're pure bullsh*t.
What actually happened was, the stenos have a language...and I'm learning
it!"
 KING OF THE SEA
 A young researcher becomes the ultimate outlaw when he sides with the
 dolphins
against nature's worst enemy...man!
So much for the teaser. Though I didn't particularly like the book, Bickerton's
background as a creolist allows for some enjoyable spots in regard to both
the dolphin/language connection, and the portrayal of Hawaiian Pidgin English.
Dale Savage

Another language and culture wrinkle in a science fiction novel:
John Boyd's _The Rakehells of Heaven_ is a wonderfully satirical novel about a
future in which North America has become a theocracy. NASA has become its
mission program, and two young cadets are sent off to explore a newly
discovered planet, one of them a "smart Alabama Baptist" and the other an
"atavistic Irish Catholic." They work on the language and culture and learn
that the civilization has the social structure of a loose confederation of
underground universities. The closest word they can find to "God" actually
means "the dean," who turns out to be a computer operated by a janitor named
Bobo. The novel ends in a delicious parody of a crucifixion scene.
Herb Stahlke
Ball State University

Further to my note on Dr Syntax, just in case anyone wished to pursue it:
the original narrative poem was by W. Combe, and it was edited for publication
 by J.C. Hotten under his own imprint in 1868.
Richard Coates