Rotten English: A Literary Anthology published by W. W. Norton & Company

by Dohra Ahmad

A global anthology of fiction and poetry in vernacular English.Rotten English spans the globe to offer an overview of the best non-standard English writing of the past two centuries, with a focus on the most recent decades. During the last twelve years, half of the Man Booker awards went to novels written in non-standard English. What would once have been derogatorily termed "dialect literature" has come into its own in a language known variously as slang, creole, patois, pidgin, or, in the words of Nigerian novelist Ken Saro-Wiwa, "rotten English."The first anthology of its kind, Rotten English celebrates vernacular literature from around the English-speaking world, from Robert Burns, Mark Twain, and Zora Neale Hurston to Papua New Guinea's John Kasaipwalova and Tobago's Marlene Nourbese Philip. With concise introductions that explain the context and aesthetics of the vernacular tradition, Rotten English pays tribute to the changes English has undergone as it has become a global language.

Genres: Poetry, Language, Anthologies, Short Stories, Nonfiction, Linguistics, Literary Criticism

Paperback

First published June 1, 2007

About the author

Dohra Ahmad is Associate Professor of English St. John's University. She has been teaching at St. John’s since 2004, having received her Ph.D. from Columbia University that year. She teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in twentieth- and twenty-first century postcolonial and world Anglophone literature, postcolonial theory, World Literature pedagogy, U.S. literature, vernacular literature, and utopian fiction. In the broadest terms, her research aims to draw thematic, stylistic, and historical connections among various literary movements of the past century.

Reviews

[Markland Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you have ever felt less than because your English is flawed, read this to realize how much what we perceive as standard English is simply another dialect codified and enforced on non-native speakers as a tool of imperialism and domination. As a Caribbean born man, it was a pleasure to see my native tongue and its variations given central status on the page. I haven't been the same as a writer since then.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really interesting collection. I have been turned on to many new authors and their works by reading this. I love how unique each voice is, and how this book celebrates the uniqueness and power of language.

[Sidik Fofana · Rating 4 out of 5]

SIX WORD REVIEW: Creolized English belongs in canon too.

[Alicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a thoughtful collection of essays, short stories or excerpts, and poetry in "non-standard" English, their humorous explanation of "rotten English" when it is farthest from the truth. If there were names you didn't know, you were exposed to them in this collection and rest-assured some of the best representations are there as well.

I didn't read it cover to cover but skimmed what I was interested in, read introductions and information about some of the authors and their works, and some of the works themselves.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great post-colonial anthology. It uses the English language as its lens, revealing the oppression and cultural metamorphosis that societies who are the victims of imperialism undergo. Language, here, is also a battleground. Countries from around the world are represented here as they take English, the most prominent symbol of their oppression, and they change it, molding it into something different that they can claim. Also, the idea of "rotten English" with its non-compliance to standard grammar, spelling, and pronunciation sure does piss some people off.

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent collection of pieces written in different nonstandard vernaculars of English—African American, Carribean, Scottish, mestiza, and many others. A nice historical range as well from Twain and Kipling to the present.

My one quibble: It seems to me that the impact of many of the pieces has more to do with what they are about than how they are written. But even still, the volume showcases a wide variety of alt-voices.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Got into this because of past avoidance of dialects.
Thought this might be just a joke, but it's not. Terrific
anthology, fascinating excerpts, very good analysis of
evolving language. The title is from a comment by Nigerian
novelist Ken Saro-Wiwa. Part of the point of it all is summed
up in this quote: "Who is to say that robbing a people of its
language is less violent than war?"

[yana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has been one of the set texts for my final bachelor's Linguistics class and it has been an absolute pleasure and priviledge to be able to learn from it. The selection is incredible—perfectly curated. I've got an unending respect for Dohra Ahmad's work and would highly recommend anything by her to anyone.

Hilariously, yesterday I accidentally ended up eavesdropping on an interview between one of the PhD student scientists who works at my university and a journalist for BBC World. After finishing their interview, they had a passionate and very awkward discussion about the dangers of being seen as holding an ideology, the kind that happens between two people very politely disagreeing and misunderstanding eachother.

I wanted to apologise for eavesdropping and thank them for the riveting lecture my coffee break had turned into, but was only able to catch the journalist while the scientist left. Upon finding out that I was reading "Productive Paradoxes" by Ahmad and Nero re: vernacular literature, the journalist in question excitedly recommended a speech by David Foster Wallace in which he "tells students how it's all well and good for them to write in vernacular, but there's a good reason why we all function and operate in the Queen's English, you know, so don't shoot yourself in the feet". I think the irony about ideologies was lost on him and I probably left him thinking my academic integrity is seriously compromised.

So there ya have it folks, linguistic purism is alive, well, damaging, and having a coffee right behind you. I was already fully convinced of the urgency of Ahmad and my Rotten English course's arguments and content, but apparently the world felt it necessary to heavy handedly reiterate.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my dream anthology: vernacular English poetry, stories and essays from around the world. Brilliant! Combines Robert Burns, Zora Neale Hurston, Junot Díaz, and the essay that helped launch my thesis, "The Absence of Writing (Or How I Almost Became a Spy)" by M. NourbeSe Philip. A delicious read for postcolonialists everywhere.

[Danica]

did anyone else know that The Brief Wondeous Life of Oscar Wao was a short story before it turned into a novel? It's in here.

So much vernacular, it's hard not to read it out loud in accents, as so much is written phonetically. Fun fun fun, and maddening on train rides for that reason.

[Alexandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brilliant!
I always enjoyed reading the mole-speech in Brian Jaques Redwall series. I never knew there was a whole category classifying this style of writing, and Rotten English has completely open my eyes to it.

Original and pure.

[Marc Manley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I appreciated the theme of the book, if not always the content itself. It does open up an important conversation about the concept of what is and is not "proper English" and the extent to which people have control and agency over their use of language.

[Joani · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a Caribbean woman who speaks and writes "proper English," this book was of particular interest to me. It did not disappoint. An eye opener for some; a refreshing look at lingustic history and its variances for others.

[Nathan "N.R." Gaddis]

Can it be treu that Tutuola's rotten english ain't hereincluded? Naja....

Here's a thing maybe ::
http://3quarksdaily.blogs.com/3quarks...

[for the record, I'm still a staunch believer in Correct=English.]

[Michele · Rating 5 out of 5]

an important book and one i'm excited to discuss

[Alicia Beale · Rating 4 out of 5]

a really great survey from ntozake shange to irvine welsh to Londonstani.

[Teresa Pratt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd love to read this with other linguists :)

[Jonathan Pierce · Rating 5 out of 5]

A cool guide to english creole language writers.

[Danielle Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

A must read.

[Renee Walden · Rating 5 out of 5]

this literary anthology is definitley one of the best in the 21st century— bringing light to the not only cultural importance of vernacular but also it’s ability for unification and validity, Dohra Ahmad carefully crafts a great set of selections.

[Yasmin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't read every piece in here yet, but this is a great collection.

[pat · Rating 5 out of 5]

If anything good came of the British Empire it’s this book.