Searching For Lost City: On The Trail Of America's Native Languages - Softcover
A fascinating look at the power of language--and what we lose when it disappears.
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From the Back Cover:
What do we lose when a language disappears? Today, more languages than ever before are endangered. Choctaw, Creek, Comanche, and Ponca are just a few of the more than one hundred Native American languages quickly moving towards extinction.
The question of what is lost - after all, speakers themselves often wonder whether it's worth the trouble of keeping their dialect alive - sparked the interest of Elizabeth Seay, an editor and writer for The Wall Street Journal. In Searching for Lost City, she finds herself in her home state of Oklahoma, researching what is left of tribal languages and the customs that surround them. Seay meets Toby Hughes, who weaves spells; Charles Chibitty, the last Comanche code talker; Sadie Parnell, whose Cherokee language was literally taken from her; and Brian and Quese Frejo, brothers who use Native words in their hip-hop lyrics.
The "lost city" of Ross Mountain seems elusive, however. In this enclave in the Ozark Mountains, ninety percent of the inhabitants speak a version of Cherokee as their first language. The place becomes a metaphor for language itself, and it takes a fascinating turn of events for Seay to discover what, for her, is the "value" of language. Her deeply felt narrative opens a window onto the quirks and intricacies of speech, offering a glimpse into the last days of a vanishing culture and leaving readers with new ways to look at the world.
About the Author:
The question of what is lost - after all, speakers themselves often wonder whether it's worth the trouble of keeping their dialect alive - sparked the interest of Elizabeth Seay, an editor and writer for The Wall Street Journal. In Searching for Lost City, she finds herself in her home state of Oklahoma, researching what is left of tribal languages and the customs that surround them. Seay meets Toby Hughes, who weaves spells; Charles Chibitty, the last Comanche code talker; Sadie Parnell, whose Cherokee language was literally taken from her; and Brian and Quese Frejo, brothers who use Native words in their hip-hop lyrics.
The "lost city" of Ross Mountain seems elusive, however. In this enclave in the Ozark Mountains, ninety percent of the inhabitants speak a version of Cherokee as their first language. The place becomes a metaphor for language itself, and it takes a fascinating turn of events for Seay to discover what, for her, is the "value" of language. Her deeply felt narrative opens a window onto the quirks and intricacies of speech, offering a glimpse into the last days of a vanishing culture and leaving readers with new ways to look at the world.
Elizabeth Seay is a writer and editor for The Wall Street Journal, and her writing is featured in the anthology Floating Off the Page: The Best Stories from The Wall Street Journal’s “Middle Column.” She holds an MFA in nonfiction writing from Columbia University. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.
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- PublisherLyons Pr
- Publication date2004
- ISBN 10 1592286445
- ISBN 13 9781592286447
- BindingPaperback
- Edition number1
- Number of pages250
- Rating
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Searching For Lost City-On The Trail Of America's Native Languages
Published by
The Lyons Press, Guilford, Ct
(2002)
ISBN 10: 1592286445
ISBN 13: 9781592286447
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Searching for Lost City: On the Trail of America's Native Languages
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The Lyons Press December 2004
(2004)
ISBN 10: 1592286445
ISBN 13: 9781592286447
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Book Description Trade Paperback. Condition: Used Good. Firefly sells new and used books through our store front. We try to add a detailed description to as many titles as possible. If you have questions regarding this title, please contact us. Photos available on request. Seller Inventory # 41975
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Searching for Lost City: On the Trail of America's Native Languages
Published by
The Lyons Press
(2004)
ISBN 10: 1592286445
ISBN 13: 9781592286447
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Book Description Paperback. Condition: Very Good-. Very good- paperback copy (NOT ex-library). Unattached small card placed inside front cover signed by author. Spine is uncreased, binding tight and sturdy; Occasional markings in pencil on approximately 12-15 pages. Text is always very readable. Exterior looks great, Shelf wear is very minor. Ships same or next business day from Dinkytown in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Seller Inventory # 283226
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