Parole

Expanding Horizons Challenge: final list

OK, so I thought I had made my choice(s) and I thought I had a list. Then I started looking at other participants’ blogs and — wow, there’s such a heap of books just waiting for me to get at them, and even considering only those that would fit in this challenge, it was not easy making up my mind.

But finally (as we’re starting, aren’t we? - ok, in just a few days, but I’m going to have no Internet access on these last days of 2007), here’s the list:

1. African: NELSON MANDELA, Long Way to Freedom
My just-in-case alternative: AMINATTA FORNA, Ancestors Stones (thanks to Amira)
My second just-in-case: GLORIA NAYLOR, The Women of Brewster Place (thanks to Corinne)

2. Asian: AMY TAN, The Joy Luck Club
My just-in-case alternative: KAZUO ISHIGURO, The Unconsoled (thanks to gautami tripathy)
My second just-in-case: LISA SEE, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan (thanks to Veronica)

3. Hispanic: JORGE AMADO, Gabriela Clove and Cinnamon
My just-in-case alternative: DAINA CHAVIANO, The Island of Eternal Love
My second just-in-case: JULIA ALVAREZ, In the Time of the Butterflies (both thanks to Dave)

4. Indian: ANITA NAIR, Mistress: A Novel (thanks to Melissa)
My just-in-case alternative: AMITAV GHOSH, The Hungry Tide
My second just-in-case: KIRAN DESAI, The Inheritance of Loss (thanks to Sarah)

5. Middle-Eastern: A.B. YEHOSHUA, A Journey to the End of the Millennium
My just-in-case alternative: MOHSIN HAMID, The Reluctant Fundamentalist (thanks to Amy)
My second just-in-case: BETOOL KHEDAIRI, A Sky So Close (thanks to Alisia)

6. Native: WITI IHIMAERA, Whale Rider (thanks to Kookiejar)
My just-in-case alternative: THOMAS KING, Green Grass, Running Water (thanks to Teddy)
My second just-in-case: LOUISE ERDRICH, Love Medicine.

I’m going to read much more than six, sooner or later… but as for the challenge itself I’m not sure how well I’ll do. We’ll see… In the meantime: happy reading, everyone!

Auguri

Qualche giorno fa, non so più dove, ho letto una poesia che mi è sembrata molto dolce e ricca di speranza. In seguito ho scoperto che in realtà si tratta di una canzone, anche se non l’ho mai sentita. Provo qui a rendervela in italiano, come augurio per un Natale e un nuovo anno di speranza per tutti.

Era la notte prima di Natale, e in tutto il mondo
le cose sembravano procedere come al solito.
I pastori sedevano sul versante della collina, alzando gli occhi a guardar le stelle,
mentre il mondo prendeva sonno, senza accorgersi di quanto fosse profondo
il buio di quella notte che precedeva il Natale.

E la notte prima di Natale sembrava una notte qualunque,
ma nel vento che soffiava si sentiva qualcosa in arrivo
e come bambini eccitati da segreti che vorrebbero rivelare
i cedri danzavano nella brezza, mentre tutta la natura
sembrava trattenere il respiro, in quella notte che precedeva il Natale.

E la speranza, la speranza a lungo attesa,
la speranza dei secoli,
sarebbe spuntata con il mattino
e il canto che tutto il creato anticipava
sarebbe iniziato con il primo pianto di un bambino.

Nella notte prima di Natale, Maria si mise a riposare,
mentre Giuseppe passeggiava avanti e indietro, e pregava.
E in quella stalla qualunque, in quella città qualunque,
nelle ore seguenti Dio si sarebbe preso su
e sarebbe sceso dal cielo, e il mondo non sarebbe più stato lo stesso,
dopo quella notte che precedeva il Natale.

Potete leggere l’originale, di Steven Curtis Chapman, qui.

BUON NATALE A TUTTI!

Un appunto

Di nuovo su Wordsmith.org. Tra le parole degli ultimi giorni trovo questa:

shank’s mare

One’s own legs. Also known as shank’s pony.

[From facetiously referring to one’s legs as a horse, a shank being the part of the leg between the knee and ankle.]

È quello che noi chiamiamo “cavallo di Sant’Antonio” (chissà se si chiamerà così in tutt’Italia?). Non sarà un’espressione da usare tutti i giorni, ma è bello da sapere.

A minute of fun: Google Images Meme

I’ve never done a meme before, but I need a minute of fun (and a break), so here it is. I saw this first at Amy’s blog and on other blogs since, and as she wrote, it does look like fun. The idea is to offer a Google Images answer to every question. I’m trying to put up the most complete version of this. So here it goes:

Screen name?

First name?

Middle name?

(don’t have one)
Last name?

What is your age on your next birthday?

A place to which you’d like to travel?

(That’s the Azores)
A favorite object?

What is your favorite food?

and and and …

(do I really have to choose?)

What is your favorite animal?

(don’t have one, though)
What is your favorite color?

Where did you grow up?

(Udine, Northern Italy)
Where do you live now?

(still there)
Name of a past pet?

Name of a past love?

and

(ok, these were my book crushes, I won’t tell you the names of my real loves…)
Do you have a bad habit?

(I was never good at concentrating…)
What was your first job?

What was your grandmother’s name?

and
What was your major in college?

(English, French and Translation)