Dr. Cleveland Evans writes about names for the Omaha World-Herald. This week’s column explores Emily.
White poet used Chinese pen name to gain entry into Best American Poetry
The 2015 edition of the prestigious anthology Best American Poetry (BAP) is now on sale. A mainstay since 1988, the American anthology is commonly accepted as one of the most important literary platforms for aspiring wordsmiths.
This year, the publication announcement includes an unforeseen onomastic controversy: Appearing alongside Chen Chen’s poem “i will do/undo what was done/undone to me” and Jane Wong’s “Thaw” is Yi-Fen Chou’s award winning poem “The Bees, the Flowers, Jesus, Ancient Tigers, Poseidon, Adam and Eve”. It looks as if three Asian-American authors made the final cut. However, the name Yi-Fen Chou is a pseudonym for Mr. Michael Derrick Hudson, who has no known Asian ancestry.
When asked why he had chosen this pen name, Hudson replied that he resorted to this tactic after his poem was repeatedly rejected under his real name.
As BAP juror and literary heavy-weight Sherman Alexie revealed in an interview with The Guardian that he only learned of Hudson’s non-Asian ancestry after the poem had been selected. According to Alexie, one of his goals when putting the 2015 anthology together was to make sure that it represented the true diversity of the United States. When he therefore learned the real identity of the author behind the name, Yi-Fen Chou, he was livid.
In an interview with TODAY.com, Dr. Timothy Yu, Director of the Asian American Studies Program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, explained that one of the reasons why Hudson’s onomastic subterfuge was so injurious was that it ”fits into a long tradition of […] white Americans appropriating Asian identities and culture.” While poets and pundits will no doubt continue to argue the legitimacy of including Yi-Fen Chou/Hudson’s submission, from an onomastic point of view, this case exemplifies the power of names in forming our opinions and guiding our decision-making.
The poetry foundation offers many reactions to Yi-Fen Chou.
Christian Literary Studies Group (CLSG) Conference: Homiletics / The Game of the Name, Oxford, November 7, 2015
On the 7th of November 2015, the Christian Literary Studies Group (CLSG) will be holding a conference entitled “Homiletics / The Game of the Name” at Corpus Christi College, Oxford (UK). The purpose of the CLSG is to explore the Christian faith via literary analysis.
This year’s conference will explore the significance of names and naming in Biblical texts. Some of the scheduled presentations include:
- “Christian Names: some aspects of literary onomastics in early English literature”, Dr Paul Cavill, University of Nottingham
- “Robert Southwell’s sermon The Triumphs over Death”, Dr Mike Nolan, La Trobe University, Melbourne
- “Wuldorfæder and Heofenrices Weard: The Names of God in Old English Poetry”, Samuel Cardwell, Cambridge
The attendance fee for non-members is £18. Click here for more information about the conference and to learn about the CLSG Journal, The Glass.
Global coalition tells Facebook to kill its Real Names policy
The Nameless Coalition, a global alliance of women’s groups, LGBTQ groups, human rights and digital rights groups has asked Facebook to abandon its policy that requires its users to use their legal names. The coalition claims that the use of real names puts some individuals in dangerous situations and disproportionately discriminates against the groups of people most affected by the dangers of using their real names.… Read More
The Trademarked Name Diesel
The EU ordered makers of the game DieselStormers to change its name because Diesel Clothing trademarked Diesel not just for clothing, but for every industry. Tech Dirt discusses the decision and considers the purpose of trademarks.
Map of businesses with puntastic names
Atlas Obscura, together with Digg, has released the crowd-sourced map of businesses with pun names. Not surprisingly, it’s quite a collection! Check it out.… Read More
Banned Baby Names: List Of Baby Names Outlawed By Courts Around The World
Interested in outlawed baby names around the world? View a list of ten examples here.… Read More
Trail Dust: Origin of tribes’ names often involves guesswork
This article discussed the complex history of the names of Native American tribes in New Mexico, focusing on the Navajo and the Papago.
Chinese Authorities Ban Muslim Names Among Uyghurs in Hoten
Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region
In northwestern China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, authorities have banned 22 Muslim names. Children with these names are forbidden from attending school until their names are changed.
Ilshat Hesen, vice president of the Washington-based Uyghur American Association, notes that this policy is a human rights violation.
See this article for more information and a full list of the banned names.
Scots Names for Snow
Researchers at the University of Glasgow have taken on the herculean task of creating a definitive thesaurus of the Scots language.
During the collection of terminology, the scientists were astounded to discover that the language seems to have no fewer than 421 words to describe conditions in the Winter. From spitters, a name for the tiny flakes of snow that ride on wind-driven rain to feefle, reportedly used to name swirling snow.
In an interview featured in a September 2015 issue The Scotsman, a member of the research team, Dr. Rennie, was quoted as saying that “There may be other words out there that we are not yet aware of, and that is where we would welcome the support of the public. If they use or remember words for particular sports or weather, we would love to hear about them.”
Just how many names for Winter weather will be garnered by this public appeal remains to be seen. But, if experience is anything to go by, the current number of Scots snow names catalogued will no doubt rise.