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On my desk sits a Ken doll wearing some sort of Persian get-up. He has a direct but empty blue stare. He knows very little.I try to exercise patience with him. I tell myself he will learn. I explain. I confide. But to little avail. My Ken isn’t much use. He offers no good advice, and very little comfort.It occurs to me that if in this blog I address only those topics that my Ken does not understand, there will be almost no limit to what I can discuss here.For it must be said that aside from a few feather-light questions of fashion, everything under the sun is... |
BEYOND MY KEN |
It’s been a Pleasure, Mr. Sendra
March 26, 2012
Writer Alexandra Whitaker talks to journalist Joaquín Sendra about her novel LEAVING SOPHIE DEAN, published by Grand Central Publishing (New York) March, 2012
What is String Theory? It’s no good asking Ken. And we’ve been over and over it. He can’t find Malaga on the map. He doesn’t know what I do for a living. Joaquin Sendra? Who’s that?
Euskeraz…et en français
March 26, 2012
Alexandra Whitaker announces in Basque and French that her novel LEAVING SOPHIE DEAN (SOPHIE DEAN FAIT SES VALISES) is now available in France, published by Les Presses de la Cité (Paris) March, 2012
Euskera ba-daki nere Kenek? Ez.
Quelle est la capitale de la France? Comment s’appelle ma maison d’édition française? Hein! Je vous assure que c’est pas la peine de demander à mon Ken. Il ne connaît rien, lui, de tout ça. Vous pensez.
To My Turkish Readers
November 12, 2011Ken became mulish when I asked him to help me with my Turkish grammar. He’s been sulking for hours.
Türk Okurlarima Bir Mesaj
Kitabimin Türkiye’de E Yayinlari tarafindan yayinlanacagini duyurmaktan mutluluk duyarim. Türk okuyuculara sahip olmaktan gayet memnun olacagim. Kitabimin Türkçe baskisini elime aldigim an çok gurur verici olacak. Tesekkür ederim.
Why People Learn Bulgarian
October 26, 2011
I studied Bulgarian online and I was puzzled by the contents of the courses until I figured out the delightful reason why people learn Bulgarian.
Ken’s Bulgarian is very poor – and this despite that fact that we listened together to those classes online night after night all summer. I tried to have him take the male part in this dialogue, but it was hopeless. He has no retentive faculties to speak of, and his accent is deplorable. No ear.
KEN IN BULGARIA
Ken still confuses Bulgaria with Belgium, so I am not expecting much from him on our forthcoming trip to the Sofia Book Fair on December 8th. I gave him a briefing this morning on Bulgaria, drawing on my own limited knowledge of the country and its customs, but he did not retain much. If anything, he is more puzzled than before. Eat salad with Rakiya? Nod when you say ‘no,’ and shake your head when you say ‘yes’? Practicing that, he grew dizzy and fell over. I feel some trepidation about our visit, as Ken does not hold his liquor well. I hope he will not shame me by getting drunk, then jumping onto the table and attempting to perform folkloric dances. He’s not an ideal traveling companion, certainly. But he’s all I’ve got…