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Esperanto-blogo, kelkfoje blago, de Ralph Dumain
I did not fully appreciate Don Harlow when I met him at the office of the Esperanto League for North America in the San Francisco Bay area towards the end of the 1980s. I surmise this was because I was extremely irritated by the American Esperanto movement at the time. I remember that he published a book in English in Esperanto, but I never saw it until I consulted his indispensable web site of Esperanto literature many years later:
Literaturo en Esperanto (Don Harlow)
The Esperanto Book by Don Harlow, last rev. 1995. :
Chapter 7: History in Fine ... A short introduction to the history of the Esperanto movement
Chapter 9: The Literary Scene ... An introduction to the history of Esperanto literature
Chapter 11: The Inner Idea ... More than just a language
Appendix 2: Esperanto and Science-Fiction ... Esperanto in science-fiction and science-fiction in Esperanto (Don HARLOW)
Appendix 4: Some Worthwhile Reading ... Books in and about Esperanto
Now I think this is one of the best introductions to Esperanto in English you can find. Of course, 17 years have passed, and there is much to add, especially in the area that interests me the most right now, literature. But the book has not been rendered obsolete. There is Harlow's history of personal engagement, a precis of the evolution of Esperanto literature, trends in the history of the Esperanto movement in the large sociopolitical context, varying ideologies and cultural politics associated with Esperantists, and finally the question of what is Esperanto culture and the role of the moral idealism within it.
Important here I think is conveying the texture of the Esperanto world as a culture-forming phenomenon. Ultimately, this is far richer approach than kindergarten-level propaganda. That is, convey Esperanto as a living language, not just advertise how it is the interminably procrastinated solution to the world language problem.
There are a few tidbits on the various cultural-literary positions of prominent Esperantists. How many places can you read in English the divergent postures of Esperanto's two most influential cultural figures in my life span, the Hungarian Kálmán Kalocsay and the Scot William Auld? Kalocsay is more aloof than his fellow Hungarian literary pioneer Julio Baghy, and is primarily interested in literature, valuing literary translation highest. Kalocsay doesn't believe in Esperanto culture outside of literature, whereas Auld does.
Harlow pretty much follows the position of Auld and others, citing the many cultural particularities of the Esperanto world, embodied in its in-group expressions. But I claim that this proves Esperanto is a subculture. As to what kind of a subculture it is, we come to the question of the "interna ideo" (internal idea), i.e. that well-known moral idealism that is said to underlie the Esperanto movement. I think Harlow is right to suggest that the internal idea expresses the emotional tie to the language that allowed Esperantists in former times to endure, survive, and surmount hardship, ridicule, persecution, and eventually mass murder. Nevertheless, to simply characterize the Esperanto community past or present in this way is to mistake ideology for reality. Elsewhere Auld emphasizes the emotional tie to the language. I agree that this is an essential part of the explanation for whatever cohesion can be found among Esperantists, but I think that this language loyalty is more variegated and its motivation often less obvious than what the prevailing ideology claims.
Perhaps the best and most effective remedy at hand is to tell as rich a story as possible, about Esperanto as a living language, which could work wonders in the public mind that all the cookie cutter promotional literature in the world could not.  And Harlow has made a valuable contribution in this direction.
Verkis Ralph Dumain je 5:58 PM 2 komentoj
Rubrikoj: beletro, bibliografio, Don Harlow, Esperanto-movado, Esperantologio, ideologio, interlingvistiko, interna ideo, kulturpolitiko, literaturkritiko, sciencfikcio
Guardian Books podcast: Minority languages
Guardian Books podcast: Saving minor language literature and a Welsh festival, 29 June 2012 (29 min)
Here is the extended description of the podcast (emphasis mine). The entire program is well worth a listen. The Gubbins Esperanto segment can be found at 7:50 - 15:55 min.
In this week's podcast, we turn our eyes – and ears – to the literature of minority languages. Claire Armitstead speaks to Clive Boutle, of publisher Francis Boutle, about his Lesser Used Languages of Europe series, and discusses the pleasures and problems of bringing out anthologies of Galician, Breton, Norman, Manx and Cornish writing. She also talks to Paul Gubbins, co-editor of the Esperanto magazine Monato, about the benefits of a truly international language.
Finally, as the inaugural bilingual Dinefwr Literature Festival opens, Sarah Crown asks National Poet of Wales Gillian Clarke about the challenges of representing a country with a substantial literary tradition in two different languages.
Verkis Ralph Dumain je 12:38 AM 0 komentoj
Rubrikoj: beletro, edukado, Esperanto-movado, Interreto, intervjuo, minoritataj lingvoj, muziko, Paul Gubbins, podkastoj, Zamenhof
M.S. Rakitski pri originala literaturo en Esperanto (1901)
"I now dream that someday we will be able to collect and publish in our language a whole book of original literary products, written directly in the international language... I believe that one original work, even if not very good, is much more important and worthy of respect than the ten best translations of the best national writings, because only an original work is completely our own property, in form and also content. Only an original work can prove to the world that our language is something really alive."
— M.S. Rakitski, Lingvo Internacia, August 1901; quoted in William Auld, Enkonduko en la Originalan Literaturon de Esperanto, p. 15.
This is a translation from Auld's book in Esperanto on the history of original Esperanto literature, well worth reading. (I just re-read it after 25 years). This translated quote appears in Chapter 9, The Literary Scene, of Don Harlow's The Esperanto Book, an introduction to Esperanto literature for English-readers.  Re-reading Auld is the first I remember learning of Rakitski. There are other references to him and I may reference more of him. Not everyone believed in the priority of original literature, in 1901 when Esperanto was in its infancy or decades later, so this is historically noteworthy.
This quote was lifted for one intervention in an argument on an unrelated subject with a reactionary nutjob: Can Literature Survive Without Spirituality?
Verkis Ralph Dumain je 12:05 AM 1 komentoj
Rubrikoj: beletro, Don Harlow, Esperantologio, kulturpolitiko, literaturkritiko, M.S. Rakitski, William Auld
Szathmári's Kazohinia: more recent reviews
The review in the Wall Street Journal I cited in my previous post is getting some traction, linked from other sites. Here are some more recent links of relevance.
Book Review: Voyage to Kazohinia
Summer 2012 — ForeWord Review
Leia Menlove, May 31, 2012
The reviewer is at least observant: she notes key features and perspective of the Hins. She doesn't discuss the Behins though, and she errs in asserting that this is one of few Esperanto novels: there are much more than a few.
The Strange World of Sándor Szathmári July 9, 2012 by ppmhungary
Voyage to Kazohinia - Bookshare
Synopsis with favorable remarks. No reviews yet: the field is wide open.
Voyage to Kazohinia - Szathmári Sándor: an overview of the reviews and critical reactions
I'm pretty sure I've referenced this page before, but I see it's being kept up to date.
New Press to Publish Books on Eastern Bloc
Publishers Weekly, Jul 02, 2012
Verkis Ralph Dumain je 11:01 PM 0 komentoj
Rubrikoj: beletro, fikcio, Hungario, kulturkritiko, literaturkritiko, recenzoj, Sándor Szathmári, satiro, sciencfikcio, utopio
The Stuff of Genius- Esperanto: The L.L. Zamenhof Story
Verkis Ralph Dumain je 9:58 PM 0 komentoj
Rubrikoj: Esperanto-movado, videoj, Zamenhof
Kazohinia reviewed in leading Behin newspaper
I haven't attempted to seek out reviews of Kazohinia, but in the course of searching for news articles, I found this:
Stranger in a Stranger Land
Life among the Hins is perfectly ordered. Money is unknown. Sex is practiced openly as shame, like the other emotions, is unknown. Allan Massie reviews "Voyage to Kazohinia."
The Wall Street Journal, July 17, 2012
Print version: July 18, 2012, on page A13 in the U.S. edition
I assume that any cultural commentary in the WSJ is suitable for training puppies, but this is great publicity for the novel. This review conveys the plot very well, and some of the dystopian preoccupations of the time, but aside from the fact that the reviewer finds that the satire goes on too long and overstays its welcome, he also doesn't see the point. The two asinine comments left so far perhaps are to be expected. But there is plenty of room here for constructive comments. And by this I mean comments about Szathmári's work, not  schnorring for Esperanto.
This reminds me of how much more there is to say simply than to recognize that humans, partly rational, partly irrational, could not survive at either extreme. I've got my work cut out.
Verkis Ralph Dumain je 7:26 PM 0 komentoj
Rubrikoj: Aldous Huxley, beletro, fikcio, Hungario, Jevgenij Zamjatin, kulturkritiko, literaturkritiko, recenzoj, Sándor Szathmári, satiro, sciencfikcio, utopio
Esperanto 125-jara hodiaŭ / Esperanto's 125th birthday today!
Feliĉan 125-jaran datrevenon al la monda Esperantistaro!
Happy 125th birthday to the Esperantists of the world. Here are the reports in the English-language press so far.
Jen la rikolto el la anglalingva gazetaro ĝis nun. La plej bona ĵurnalartikolo ĉi-tema estas:
This Week In History: The language of hope is born
By TAMARA ZIEVE, The Jerusalem Post, 07/22/2012
La aŭtoro reliefigas la biografion de Zamenhof kun emfazo de lia juda deveno.
Mi renkontis esperantiston Bruce Sherwood en 1986 en Pittsburgh. Li tiutempe prilaboris komputilajn aplikaĵojn pri Esperanto. Jen lia kontribuo:
Meeting people halfway through Esperanto
By Young Lee, Technician (North Carolina State University), July 25, 2012
Ne tiom flata estas la prezento de la jena el Irlando:
The mother of all madcap ideas
‎Irish Examiner, July 26, 2012,
On the 125th anniversary of the invention of Esperanto, Jonathan deBurca Butler wonders at our ability to invent useless things.
La sugesto estas, ke Esperanto estas senutila, sed la paragrafo pri Esperanto mem neniel sugestas ion negativan.
Pli bona ĉiuokaze estas alia raporto el alia irlanda ĵurnalo:
Tongues are loosened at Esperanto conference in Galway ‎
LORNA SIGGINS, The Irish Times, July 16, 2012
Esperantistoj povas legi plu pri la unua eldonaĵoj pri Esperanto ĉi-date:
Esperanto jubileas: La Unua Libro aperis antau 125 jaroj
Aleksander Korĵenkov, La Balta Ondo, 25 Julio 2012
English speakers can learn about the first publication about Esperanto, on this date 125 years ago, here:
Unua Libro - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Verkis Ralph Dumain je 11:17 AM 1 komentoj
Rubrikoj: 125a datreveno, Bruce Sherwood, Esperanto-movado, kongresoj
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Esperanto Study Guide / Esperanto-Gvidilo
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Philosophical & Universal Languages, 1600-1800: Bibliography
William Blake en Esperanto
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Esperanto League for North America
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Literaturo en Esperanto (Don Harlow)
Project Gutenberg - Esperanto
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