Blog
Polyglot Conference NYC 2015: A Linguagala!
More than 400 language nerds took over Manhattan in October.
I loved the Polyglot Conference, held October 10-11 at the SVA Theatre on 23rd Street. About 425 people from around the world landed on the isle of Manhattan for two days of language talks and linguatastic extracurriculars. It made me happy. …
Went North, Found World Literature
In which changing my coffee shop routine led me to global writers.
I am trying to shake up my routine a bit, so I have been testing out a new coffee shop. I realize this is not the most radical alteration one could make to one’s lifestyle, but much of life…
Cheating on Pashto
I keep studying Arabic instead.
I love the Pashto I’ve encountered so far, but I have a confession: I have been temporarily tempted aside by Arabic. Just as I was about to finish the first 30 audio lessons that Pimsleur offers for Pashto, I…
The Art of Pimsleur Pashto
The mellifluous voice of the woman on the audio recordings makes for excellent Pashto promotion.
Until a couple of weeks ago I was zipping along with my Pimsleur audio lessons for Pashto. When I don’t like a voice on an audio recording, it is a huge bummer. It doesn’t happen much — I am…
Grammar Books for Protection?
In which an Arabic verb book may possibly have protected me from a crazy person.
Today in New York I got into a verbal altercation with a woman at a cafe who refused to move her belongings off an adjacent seat so that I could sit down. (There were no other seats.) Here’s what…