Publishers Weekly
04/29/2019
Anthropologist Kulick tells a story of cultural and linguistic transformation and exchange in this clever, empathetic memoir of his time spent in Gapun, a remote village in Papua New Guinea, trying to preserve the Tayap language and to learn why it was disappearing. The book captures the spirit and rhythm of daily life in the village; most chapters explore a single event, theme, or aspect of life in the village. Standouts include: Gapunian attitudes towards children and language learning; the courtship custom of writing love letters; and deeply visceral discussions of local cuisine (heavy on the insect protein). Kulick also delves into villagers’ beliefs about the world beyond their impoverished swamp, pointedly reminding the reader that Papua New Guinea’s “cargo cults” (religious beliefs focused on attaining material wealth) have arisen as a result of profound global inequality. The decline of Tayap, too, he finds, is a symptom of cultural change wrought by economic forces. Despite lots of fascinating detail about a culture that appears very different from the modern West, the book concludes with a firm and moving reminder about shared similarities and an exhortation to better honor collective responsibilities. This frank, passionate work will move readers interested in a thoughtful contemplation of culture and globalization. Agent: Doug Stewart, Sterling Lloyd Literistic. (June)
From the Publisher
Perhaps the finest and most profound account of ethnographic fieldwork and discovery that has ever entered the anthropological literature.” —The Wall Street Journal “If you want to experience a profoundly different culture without the exhausting travel (to say nothing of the cost), this is an excellent choice.”—The Washington Post “What does it take to study a culture? Anthropologist Don Kulick visited the small village of Gapun in New Guinea on and off for 30 years to study its dying language, Tayap. Blending academic discourse, linguistics and his personal stories about life in the remote community, A Death in the Rainforest illuminates the ways a society can change over time and become swallowed by forces of the outside world.” —Time “An important history lesson from an anthropologist who spent three decades watching a language and a people go extinct as the rainforest around them disappeared.”
—The Revelator “Anthropologist Kulick tells a story of cultural and linguistic transformation and exchange in this clever, empathetic memoir of his time spent in Gapun, a remote village in Papua New Guinea . . . Despite lots of fascinating detail about a culture that appears very different from the modern West, the book concludes with a firm and moving reminder about shared similarities and an exhortation to better honor collective responsibilities. This frank, passionate work will move readers interested in a thoughtful contemplation of culture and globalization.” —Publishers Weekly “In this captivating narrative, [Kulick] considers complex questions about race and power in anthropological research, the nature of relationships among very different people, and the challenges of living in such a demanding environment. Kulick's engrossing, thought-provoking, and transporting chronicle will be enjoyed by National Geographic fans and all readers interested in cultural investigations.”—Booklist “Kulick . . . wears his scholar's hat casually in this deeply personal, engaging inquiry . . . A sad and uplifting, ultimately poignant exploration.”—Kirkus Reviews “[Don Kulick’s] stories of adjusting to daily life in the village are both humorous and compassionate. Throughout his time working in Gapun, he is distinctly aware of the field of anthropology’s conflicting eras of practice, from its colonialist past up to the highly culturally sensitive present. Kulick allows his research to reveal his own cultural bias and acknowledge his privilege; in doing so, he details the reasons that support his theory as to why languages die in a manner that shows strong social responsibility and fairness. Recommended for a readership of varying ages, from young adults with an interest in cultural anthropology to college students and academics.” —Library Journal “A book not to be missed . . . Don Kulick looks back at thirty years of research into the death of Tayap, the native language in Gapun, a remote village in Papua New Guinea. His honest account of his work and adventures in this village are no less than fascinating . . . His funny, warm, and at times sad account of the changing way of life in Gapun makes for an informative and unforgettable read, and one that I wholeheartedly enjoyed.
Kirkus Reviews
2019-04-10
How a culture withers and its language is rendered mute.
Kulick (Anthropology/Uppsala Univ.; Travesti: Sex, Gender, and Culture Among Brazilian Transgendered Prostitutes, 1998, etc.) wears his scholar's hat casually in this deeply personal, engaging inquiry into a "tiny windless slit in the rainforest [of Papua New Guinea]…surrounded on all sides by massive trees rooted in a vast, seemingly boundless swamp." A small village of roughly 100 people, Gapun has its own unique language, Tayap. The author renders his academic research in a light, almost novelistic style, with plenty of drama and heartache. He invokes anthropologist Margaret Mead's conviction that we should "learn from difference." From 1985 to 2014, Kulick lived in the village seven times, once for 15 months. The villagers called him Saraki and thought him a dead person, a white ghost, a "harbinger of the change they want so badly." He immersed himself in their lives and culture and learned their unique language, later writing a grammar. The linguistic part of the book may be a bit much for some, but Kulick does a fine job describing the language's origins, how he learned it, and how it differs from the country's national language, Tok Pisin. The author discusses their cuisine, especially their main staple, sago, a raw form of flour, maggot stew, and chewed betel leaves; how they educate and raise their children, never hitting them; their sex practices; and creative swearing, which is mostly done by women. Kulick also recounts a harrowing episode when gunmen from outside tried to rob him and a villager was killed. He understands that they want to change, but he wonders, at what cost? Few now speak their precious and irreplaceable language: The "mighty tree that once was Tayap has been whittled down to a skinny toothpick."
A sad and uplifting, ultimately poignant exploration of a tiny world within a bigger, harsher, and crushing world.
