Re: CALLING ALL CONLANGERS!!!

On Sunday, November 11, 2001, at 08:35 , David Peterson wrote:

>     Some time last spring, I mentioned that I was going to be teaching a
> class in language creation here at Berkeley Spring 2002.  Well, that's
> next
> semester, and so I'm going to start gearing up for it.  What does this
> mean
> for you?  You see, I'm going to have a reader for this class, and I would
> love to see everyone contribute to it! ~:D  In my reader I'm planning on
> having the following:
>
Cool!  Do let us know information about how to get a copy of the reader
when it becomes available.  I for one would like to preorder it--it'd be
an awesome reference to have around.

> Reader:
> Part II: Special Topics
> 15.) Conculture
>
> Part III: Samples
> 16.) Miscellaneous articles
> 17.) Language Samples
>
>     Okay.  What I would LOVE people to do (if you have the time and if you
> want to) would be to fill in the missing holes.  ~:D  Ideally, articles
> won't
> be that long (no more than ten computer pages, I'd imagine), and deal with
> just the basics.  Also, if you know of a website somewhere that has good
> articles on any or all of these, I'd love it if you could send me a link.
>   If
>
Hmm.  I've got an article on conlangs and role-playing games, which might
not be the sort of thing you want to include, but it does address
conculture obliquely (mostly via orks, I'm afraid):
http://pegasus.cityofveils.com/rpglang.phtml

> I don't get anything from anyone and don't find anything on websites, I'll
> end up writing all the articles myself, which is fine.  However, one
> thing I
> know absolutely nothing about since I've had no experience with and little
> interest in it is Conculture.  I would gladly exchange having all the
> other
> articles written for me in exchange for this one, since I recognize that
> Concultures are an important aspect of Conlanging.
>
I am not an expert by any means, but as a sf/f writer I would love to
contribute an article on conculture, especially if it's a supplement to a
more competently-done article by someone else.  (You may want to look into
Walter Meyer's _Aliens and Linguists_, which is an out-of-print, if
somewhat dated--Chomsky is referred to as a new kid on the block--linguist'
s book on the (mis)portrayal of linguistics in science fiction.  If
nothing else, it might make interesting optional reading.)

Also, if you're interested in a (rather shorter...) article on the
appearance of conlanging in sf/f in general, NOT Tolkien (I'm sure someone
else will want to write that, though!  I'm just not knowledgable about
Tolkien's works), I would love to do that.  :-)

>     To all those who send anything, I am eternally in your debt, and shall
> remember you forever afterwards!  Also, if anybody wants a copy of the
> reader
> when it eventually comes out, I'm sure that can be arranged.  So as not to
> gum up the list, all replies should be off-list.  Thanks!
I'm replying on list because I'm curious as to who else is interested in
writing on concultures.  :-)  My own "specialty" is sf/f, but I know there
are an awful lot of "real-world" or "alternate history" concultures
floating around this list, and that's an area that I'm not personally
familiar with either.

Also, I've sent you brief language samples for Tsuhon (German-to-Japanese
phonological mangling), Czevraqis (impersonal vs. personal pronouns--you
may want to leave this one out, as it's not all that unique, especially if
you're hard-up for space), and Tasratal (the three-way division of
semantic space and number-prefix system).  Let me know if they fail to
arrive intact.  :-p

Gosh, I'm really looking forward to seeing this reader!

Yoon Ha Lee [requiescat@cityofveils.com]
http://pegasus.cityofveils.com

shin: (n.) A device for finding furniture in the dark.