A death in the rainforest : how a language and a way of life came to an end in Papua New Guinea
Available copies
- 1 of 1 copy available at LARL/NWRL Consortium.
- 1 of 1 copy available at Lake Agassiz Regional Library. (Show preferred library)
Current holds
0 current holds with 1 total copy.
Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Status | Due Date |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Hawley Public Library | 305.8009 KUL (Text) | 33500013084421 | Main | Available | - |
Record details
- ISBN: 1616209046
- ISBN: 9781616209049
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Physical Description:
xii, 274 pages ; 22 cm
print - Edition: First edition.
- Publisher: Chapel Hill, North Carolina : Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, 2019.
Content descriptions
Formatted Contents Note: | The air we breathe -- A village in the swamp -- First catch your teacher -- Moses's plan -- The burden of giving -- Dining in Gapun -- "I'm getting out of here" -- Over the rainbow -- The poetics of swearing -- Matters of the liver -- Young people's Tayap -- Living dangerously -- Who killed Monei? -- Luke writes a letter -- Going to hell -- What actually dies when a language dies? -- The end. |
Reviews
- Booklist Reviews : Booklist Reviews 2019 May #2
During the past 30 years, Kulick, professor of anthropology at Sweden's Uppsala University, has lived intermittently in Gapun, a small, remote village in Papua New Guinea. Shifting between big themes and small vignettes, he immerses the reader in the life of the village and its history. He explains the decline of the Tayap language, never spoken by more than a few hundred and now eschewed by village youth, and recounts the challenge of learning Tayap from Raya, a cantankerous old villager who complains about Kulick's cooking. Expanding his viewpoint, Kulick explains the unique meaning of language in Papua New Guinea, the most language-rich country in the world, where its most spoken language today, Tok Pisin, emerged from the exploitation of colonialism. In this captivating narrative, the author considers complex questions about race and power in anthropological research, the nature of relationships among very different people, and the challenges of living in such a demanding environment. Kulick's engrossing, thought-provoking, and transporting chronicle will be enjoyed by National Geographic fans and all readers interested in cultural investigations. Copyright 2019 Booklist Reviews.