Victor H Mair, professor of Chinese at the University of Pennsylvania, died in late June this year (2026). He politely answered my occasional email, encouraged my studies of Turkish, and, although I never mentioned it to him, was a role model to me because of his bold, multidisciplinary approach to “sinology.” At various times in his … Continue reading Victor H Mair: Passing of a Scholar who Endowed “Sinologist” with New Meaning
What We’re Reading Now: Reichl’s “Turkic Oral Epic Poetry”
“One of the most fascinating aspects of shamanism for the student of epic poetry is the initiation of the shaman through sickness and dreams,” writes Karl Reichl in his Turkic Oral Epic Poetry. “These visions are paralleled by the initiation which epic singers experience in many traditions.” The recollections of Džanïbay Kodžekov, a Kyrgyz singer: One day … Continue reading What We’re Reading Now: Reichl’s “Turkic Oral Epic Poetry”
“Audible Annals of Abudan” (凿空): Liu Liangcheng’s Novel Set in Southern Xinjiang to be Published in English
The English-language rights to the novel《凿空》 by 刘亮程 have now been purchased by UK-based publisher West Link Books. I co-translated it with Liu Jun (刘浚). Several years ago, we also translated Confessions of a Jade Lord by the Uyghur author Alat Asem. Audible Annals of Abudan is set during the early 2000s in a dirt-poor southern Xinjiang village populated by … Continue reading “Audible Annals of Abudan” (凿空): Liu Liangcheng’s Novel Set in Southern Xinjiang to be Published in English
Merey Speaks Out: Interview with Popular Kazakh Singer
The Times of Central Asia features an interview with Merey, a young female Kazakh singer, poet and lyricist who plays the dombra and finds inspiration in traditional Kazakh poets Mukaghali Makatayev and Fariza Ongarsynova: Kazakh cultural space is generally sensitive to newness and I love experimenting. My song Carpe Diem, where I touch on female sexuality in the Kazakh language, caused a … Continue reading Merey Speaks Out: Interview with Popular Kazakh Singer
Astana AI Film Festival 2026
Astana, capital of Kazakhstan, will host the Astana AI Film Festival (AAIFF 2026) this autumn featuring films created using artificial intelligence, reports the Times of Central Asia. The festival will bring together filmmakers, digital creators, representatives of technology companies, industry experts, and investors. See here for related news in Kazakh.
What an Online Movement Reveals about China’s Ethnic Relations
In Han Chauvinisim takes on the Manchu, “writer, traveller and thinker” Gabriel explores the “1644 historical view,” the legacy of the Qing, and what an online movement reveals about China's ethnic relations: Nowadays the Manchu are one of China’s most assimilated minorities, mostly indistinguishable from the Han in both look and custom. This hasn’t stopped them … Continue reading What an Online Movement Reveals about China’s Ethnic Relations
Turkish Cinema: Dissenting Voices Recognized at Berlinale
In A New Wave of Defiance, Turkey’s best-known contemporary writer in English – Kaya Genç – reviews two politically outspoken films that examine Erdoğan’s regime, Yellow Letters (Sarı Zarflar) by Ilker Çatak and Salvation (Kurtuluş) by Emin Alper, which won awards at the recent Berlinale film festival: Since the violent crackdown on the Occupy Gezi protests of 2013, an uncanny hush has dominated the … Continue reading Turkish Cinema: Dissenting Voices Recognized at Berlinale
Chinese and European Bias in their Perceptions of the Mongol Empire
In this review of the newly published The Khan and the Unicorn: Mongol Empire and Qing Knowledge in the Making of World History, David Chaffetz points out shortcomings of both Chinese and Europeans regarding Mongol history: Chinese historians seeking to understand the life of Genghis Khan faced a number of obstacles, even though his Yuan dynasty … Continue reading Chinese and European Bias in their Perceptions of the Mongol Empire
Tengrism in Kazakhstan: Re-emergence under Gorbachev’s Perestroika
I listened recently to a Turan Tales podcast featuring an interview with Abigail Scripka, who did her master’s thesis on “Tengrism as a youth movement” among 18-to-30-year olds in Almaty during the 80s and 90s. Fascinating stuff. This is a wide-ranging interview that touches on a host of topics, including: Subtleties of the co-existence of Tengrism, Shamanism and … Continue reading Tengrism in Kazakhstan: Re-emergence under Gorbachev’s Perestroika
NYC Apr 4 Event: Kalmyk Music Beyond the Homeland
Date/venue: Apr 4, 3:00-5:00 pm, Beef Up Noodle, 352 3rd Ave, NYC Performance: Kalmyk dombra, throat singing, and folk vocal Background: Performed by artists of the Kalmyk Heritage Center, ages 6 to over 70, drawn from Russia, Inner Mongolia, and the United States. Further details: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/from-zayton-to-new-york-vol11-kalmyk-music-beyond-the-homeland-tickets-1985770699618
Altaic Storytelling 