An excerpt from Bloodline , a novel by Uyghur author Patigül set in Xinjiang (《百年血脉》帕蒂古丽 著) Translated from the Chinese by Natascha Bruce Edited by Bruce Humes Growing Up In Da’nanpo (大南坡上的日子) We lived southeast of Da’nanpo, deep in the desert and on top of a steep slope, which meant all routes away from … Continue reading Xinjiang-based Novel: Excerpt from Patigül’s “Bloodline”
My co-translation of Uyghur author Alat Asem’s novel set in Xinjiang has now been published. Here is a brief synopsis of sorts, taken straight off the book’s back cover: Confessions of a Jade Lord 《时间悄悄的嘴脸》（阿拉提·阿斯木 著) “Tell Eysa that he cannot live by drifting in the wind. He should return and live in his own … Continue reading Synopsis: “Confessions of a Jade Lord”
In Navigating Xinjiang's Security Checkpoints, Darren Byler, anthropology PhD candidate at the University of Washington, relates his recent experiences in northwest China: Over the course of a week in cities across Xinjiang, I went through dozens and dozens of checkpoints. I saw young Uighur officers berate elderly Uighurs for not showing their IDs. I saw … Continue reading The New Xinjiang: Traveling when Uyghur
An excerpt from the newly published novel by Uyghur author Alat Asem, Confessions of a Jade Lord 《时间悄悄的嘴脸》 Chapter 19 Rechristening a High-rise In the midst of his hectic days as minor-character-cum-stagehand, Exet the Mouse’s magnificent new sobriquet — “Suet Exet” — fails to resonate. Those two sheep were indeed sacrificed in vain. Afterwards, he … Continue reading Extract: Alat Asem’s Novel “Confessions of a Jade Lord” (时间悄悄的嘴脸)
In China: Big Data Fuels Crackdown in Minority Region, Human Rights Watch reports on how hi-tech is being used to systematically monitor citizens' behavior in Xinjiang, one of the PRC's most multiethnic regions: Since August 2016, the Xinjiang Bureau of Public Security has posted procurement notices confirming the establishment of the “Integrated Joint Operations Platform” (IJOP, … Continue reading Xinjiang: Big Data, Wifi Sniffers & Big Brother
Authorities in the capital of northwest China’s Xinjiang Autonomous Region have banned the sale of books by an ethnic Uyghur who served as the region’s first chairman, reports Radio Free Asia (Ban): Observers said the ban — part of an internal party order issued in April last year, but only recently learned of by RFA’s … Continue reading Censorship in Xinjiang: Books by former Chairman of the Region are Banned
First enfeoffed by Qing Emperor Qianlong in 1758, this Uyghur dynasty in northeastern Xinjiang eventually boasted a line of eleven monarchs, popularly known as the “King of Kuqa” (库车王). Kuqa was an ancient Buddhist kingdom located on the branch of the Silk Road that ran along the northern edge of the Taklamakan Desert, but to … Continue reading Last King of Kuqa: Uyghur Author Patigül Launches her Xinjiang Historical Novel
As part of the global One Belt, One Road publicity campaign, China's media is publishing a bevy of articles introducing major oasis cities along the ancient Silk Road, including this one focusing on Xinjiang's Aksu (一带一路上的阿克苏: 新型全球化的城市样本). Here's a pic from the article, showing modern-day Aksu residents dancing.
According to a July 28, 2017 report by Radio Free Asia (Uyhgur Language): In late June, the Education Department in Xinjiang’s Hotan (in Chinese, Hetian) prefecture issued a five-point directive outlawing the use of Uyghur at schools in favor of Mandarin Chinese “in order to strengthen elementary and middle/high school bilingual education.” Under the directive … Continue reading Xinjiang’s Hotian Education Department Issues Directive Limiting Use of Uyghur in Schools
In a discussion of Anna Lowenhaupt Tsing’s The Mushroom at the End of the World — about Southeast Asian refugee immigrants and white Vietnam War vets picking mushrooms in Oregon — Darren Byler is struck by the way the mushroom pickers speak of freedom. He writes: In a corner of China, several thousand kilometers from … Continue reading The Xinjiang Gold Rush, Uyghur Scavengers and a Kind of Freedom
Altaic Storytelling 