William Labov, author of Dialect Diversity in America: The Politics of Language Change, appeared recently on the David Pakman Show, where he discussed the misconception of an American accent, explaining that America can be divided into fifteen regions with distinct dialects. What’s more, many of these accents, or dialects, are still evolving.
This fall we will be bringing out Independence without Freedom: Iran’s Foreign Policy, in which one of the great commentators on modern Iran, R. K. Ramazani, summarizes six decades of political history in this volatile and important nation. With the election this summer of a new president, Ramazani has several important questions about the future of Iran and the promises made by its new leader. Ramazani writes, “Hassan Rouhani’s surprise landslide victory in Iran’s elections astounded Iranians, Americans, and much of the world. In his victory speech, he claimed he would travel the road to ‘moderation.’ What does this mean? Is he a ‘mianeh ro’ or ‘e’tedal,’ meaning middle of the road or just man, or alternatively, is he simply against extremism? If so, is he a ‘centrist’ and ‘pragmatist,’ responding flexibly to different situations, or is he, as he has been called, ‘the diplomatic sheikh’?”
In 2012, Robert Sibley shared his experiences on the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage in his book The Way of the Stars. Sibley’s latest book, The Way of the 88 Temples, chronicles his journey on the Henro Michi, one of the oldest pilgrimage routes in Japan. Located on Shikoku, the smallest of Japan’s four islands, the pilgrimage comprises 88 temples and covers nearly 900 miles. Publishers Weekly has said of the book, “Sibley’s acute psychological observations are interwoven not only with vivid details but historical and cultural contexts of the ancient Shikoku pilgrimage. Throughout his journey, Sibley asks himself—and the travelers he meets—why walking the path is important. While he finds no one answer, this accomplished narrative demonstrates that the impulse to seek inner change through a physical journey, if mysterious, is enduring.” Following is an excerpt from The Way of the 88 Temples.
Melanie Choukas-Bradley, author of City of Trees: The Complete Field Guide to Trees of Washington, D.C., will be leading a tour of the national capital’s trees. Dubbed the Treeathlon, the tour will take place on September 22, via foot, bicycle, even canoe.
History fans in the New York area are invited to the Corner Bookstore on Tuesday, August 13, to hear James Corbett David read from his new book Dunmore’s New World.
Our congratulations go out to Douglas Bradburn, whom the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association has named the founding director of the Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington. As library director, he will oversee Mount Vernon’s efforts to safeguard original Washington books and manuscripts and to foster new scholarly research about George Washington and the Founding Era.