Wednesday, September 08, 2004

I read Sistah Tongue by Lisa Linn Lanae, from Tinfish Press today. I've had it for 2 years, but only now. well, I did scan it earlier, but now I've closer done it justice. it's a terrific thing. it's an essay, in a way, about pidgin Hawaiian, speech disorder, colonialism nd more. if I've made you think some trenchant tract, it aint. the essay core has mutated with the rhythm of the language, plus the book's design breaks up the essay push. the book's design is by Kristin Kalenani Gonsales. she places lines and boxes on the page disruptively, xeroxed scraps of quotes are introduced and there's a great sense of intersection on display, between author and designer, between the various confluence of themes. wow, it makes me want to write run on sentences I guess. the book is really much better than I am describing it. very exciting piece of work. and I must say, the work I've seen from Tinfish is excellent. Susan Schultz is editor, there in Hawai'i, with a focus on the Pacific rim. which is muchly new to me. Tinfish publications possess a rich, idiosyncratic design. please go to the site and see. there are some free downloads available (I'm about to make use of), too.

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