On Borrowed Words: A Memoir of Language

On Borrowed Words: A Memoir of Language - Paperback

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On Borrowed Words: A Memoir of Language
  • On Borrowed Words: A Memoir of Language
On Borrowed Words: A Memoir of Language - Paperback

On Borrowed Words: A Memoir of Language - Paperback

by Ilan Stavans
$27.00
$27.00

Book Overview

Yiddish, Spanish, Hebrew, and English-at various points in Ilan Stavans's life, each of these has been his primary language. In this rich memoir, the linguistic chameleon outlines his remarkable cultural heritage from his birth in politically fragile Mexico, through his years as a student activist and young Zionist in Israel, to his present career as a noted and controversial academic and writer.

Along the way, Stavans introduces readers to some of the remarkable members of his family-his brother, a musical wunderkind; his father, a Mexican soap opera star; his grandmother, who arrived in Mexico from Eastern Europe in 1929 and wrote her own autobiography. Masterfully weaving personal reminiscences with a provocative investigation into language acquisition and cultural code switching, On Borrowed Words is a compelling exploration of Stavans's search for his place in the world.
ISBN9780142000946
Author Ilan Stavans
PublisherPenguin Adult Hc/Tr
GenreBiography
FormatPaperback
PublishedJuly 2002
LanguageENG- English
Pages272
Weight1.0 lb
Target AudienceAdults
Print SizeStandard Print

Related Subjects

Biography & Autobiography Nonfiction

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About Ilan Stavans

Ilan Stavans is Lewis-Sebring Professor of Humanities and Latin American and Latino Culture at Amherst College. He is the bestselling author of many books on Latino and Latin American history and culture and editor of The Norton Anthology of Latino Literature. His work has been translated into a dozen languages and adapted into theater and film. Recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship and of many international prizes and honors, he lives in Amherst, Massachusetts.

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