Linda Jaivin: Sex, Sinology and the Translator

Linda Jaivin – Photo: Jade Muratore

From my post for Global Voices 'The Bridge':

Linda Jaivin is a renaissance woman who describes herself as a secular humanist. Born in Old London, Connecticut, USA, she has been an Australian citizen for over twenty years, after many years studying and working in Taiwan and mainland China.

Linda's activity is prodigious. The list of hats she wears includes translator, interpreter, anthology editor, poet, novelist and playwright. Her written works include short stories; essays; novels such as the comic, erotic “Eat Me”; historical fiction such as “A Most Immoral Woman”; and non-fiction such as the outrageous “Confessions of an S & M Virgin”.

Words that apply to Linda: stimulating, challenging, quirky, provocative, original, salacious, graphomaniac. Her writings and her conversations take us many unexpected or unfamiliar places. She may once have shocked much of her audience, but Linda has helped expand the openness of public discourse. As the Wheeler Centre video interview shows, she can be in your face, but in the friendliest way.

There is a lot more than sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll in Linda’s box of tricks.

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Trial of two journalists 'a dark stain on Thailand's record'

Brad Adams, Director, Asia Division, Human Rights Watch on case of trial of two Phuketwan journalists in Phuket TODAY:

"The trial of these two journalists is unjustified and constitutes a dark stain on Thailand's record for respecting media freedom. The Thai Navy should have debated these journalists publicly if they had concerns with the story rather than insisting on their prosecution under the draconian Computer Crimes Act and criminal libel statutes. It's now time for Thailand's leaders to step in and order prosecutors to drop this case, and end this blatant violation of media freedoms once and for all."

From Reporters Without Borders:

Reporters Without Borders reiterates its call for the withdrawal of all proceedings against two journalists who are to be tried tomorrow in the southwestern province of Phuket on charges of contravening the Computer Crimes Act and defaming the Royal Thai Navy for quoting from a Reuters special report on the smuggling of Rohingya refugees from neighbouring Burma.

The two journalists are Alan Morison, the Australian editor of the Phuket-based news website Phuketwan, and Chutima Sidasathian, a Thai reporter who works for the site.

It is an increasingly dangerous world for journalists as Peter Greste and his Al Jazeera colleagues know only too well.

Global Voices: Australians High Five International Court Decision Against Japanese Whaling

Image: Greenpeace Australia Pacific

My post for Global Voices:

There has been online elation on Australian social media following the news that on 31 March 2014 the International Court of Justice has found against Japan’s so-called ‘scientific research’ whaling in the Southern Ocean.

...There are bound to be people in Australia who are pro-whaling but if so they have been well and truly submerged on social media. It will be interesting to see the reactions in Japan.

Australians High Five International Court Decision Against Japanese Whaling

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