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Tom Mazanec
@tommazanec.bsky.social
Author, Poet-Monks (Cornell UP). Assoc prof at UC Santa Barbara. Premodern Chinese lit & religion, translation, digital humanities. JAOS editor. Father of 2. eastasian.ucsb.edu/people/faculty/thomas-mazanec/
399 followers261 following240 posts
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TMtommazanec.bsky.social

Latest in my collection of bizarre translations of Classical Chinese poetry. Joshua Ip’s “Translations to the Tanglish.” Opens with 10 pages of insulting blurbs, compares translation to turducken (“a crime against the natural order”), then offers “translations” with just a vague tie to the sources.

Cover: Translations to the Tanglish by Joshua Ip. Yellow background, line drawing of a person in bed looking at a screen.
Text of translation: thoughts, silent night the upstairs window glows with aircon condensation craning my neck, i watch the flickering shades taking out my phone, i check my family group chat
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Reposted by Tom Mazanec
TMtommazanec.bsky.social

Creating a "Guide for Academic Honesty" for my big lecture class after talking with the TAs. Here's a few paragraphs of the part where I explain why it's important. Will it help? Or will the only students to read it be the ones who already would have been honest?

Screenshot. Text reads: Why Is This Important? The purpose of this class is to exercise your mind, to develop your capacity for critical and creative thought. Along the way, we also hope that you learn something new about the history and cultural traditions associated with East Asia, especially China, Japan, Korea, and their neighbors. It’s less about getting the facts right (though those are important) than it is about learning to critically examine cultural practices, traditions, and texts from multiple perspectives—to understand the stories we tell ourselves to make sense of history and the world. The readings and assignments in this class are designed as exercises meant to stimulate your mental growth. But, just like physical exercise, if you don’t do it yourself, you won’t reap the benefits. You won’t be able to run a marathon if your friend does all the training. You won’t improve your bench press if you use a forklift to lift the weights. ...
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TMtommazanec.bsky.social

Creating a "Guide for Academic Honesty" for my big lecture class after talking with the TAs. Here's a few paragraphs of the part where I explain why it's important. Will it help? Or will the only students to read it be the ones who already would have been honest?

Screenshot. Text reads: Why Is This Important? The purpose of this class is to exercise your mind, to develop your capacity for critical and creative thought. Along the way, we also hope that you learn something new about the history and cultural traditions associated with East Asia, especially China, Japan, Korea, and their neighbors. It’s less about getting the facts right (though those are important) than it is about learning to critically examine cultural practices, traditions, and texts from multiple perspectives—to understand the stories we tell ourselves to make sense of history and the world. The readings and assignments in this class are designed as exercises meant to stimulate your mental growth. But, just like physical exercise, if you don’t do it yourself, you won’t reap the benefits. You won’t be able to run a marathon if your friend does all the training. You won’t improve your bench press if you use a forklift to lift the weights. ...
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TMtommazanec.bsky.social

Gearing up to start teaching Classical Chinese from a new textbook. The introduction's opening line is the best.

Screenshot of introduction to the book, first line highlighted: "Classical Chinese is perhaps the most important language in world history." Continues without highlighting: "Its significance is comparable to that of Latin and English, and the extent of its impact is second to none. Although it was used as a living language only during a relatively short time span of 400 years, it was the foundation of a literary tradition which spanned two millennia, surpassing that of any other civilization. Classical Chinese has shaped thought and literature throughout the history of imperial China and up to the present day. This introduction will give an outline of how Classical Chinese may be defined, what its characteristic features are, and how it is treated in the present book. Defining Classical Chinese Simply put, Classical Chinese is the language of the Chinese classics..."
Cover of "Introduction to Classical Chinese" by Kai Vogelsang. Black background, yellow lettering of title, white lettering of author name.
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Reposted by Tom Mazanec
EWedwardw2.bsky.social

This passage (along with most of the sutra fo 42 chapters) was absorbed into the compilation of daoist revelations called the Zhen'gao (from Bokenkamp's A Fourth-Century Daoist Family, pg 161) This is not entirely incongruous. in other parts of the zhen'gao, the daoist gods repeatedly...

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TMtommazanec.bsky.social

Writing wrong answers to lecture quizzes is fun. "Exterior barristry."

Screenshot of quiz question: Daoism Practice What is one practice associated with the Daoist religion that was mentioned in lecture? Correct answer: Inner alchemy Other answers: exterior barristry, wild calligraphy, commentary writing
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TMtommazanec.bsky.social

The AAS election portal opened today. If you're part of it, consider voting for me.

TMtommazanec.bsky.social

Professional friends: I’m running for a seat on the East and Inner Asia Council of the AAS (Association for Asian Studies). If you’re a member, consider voting for me. I think I’m the only philologist on the ballot. Candidate statement in next post. www.asianstudies.org/aas-2024-ele...

AAS 2024 Election Nominees and Ballot Issues - Association for Asian Studies
AAS 2024 Election Nominees and Ballot Issues - Association for Asian Studies

We are pleased to announce the slate of candidates for the fall 2024 AAS elections. The online ballot will open on September 17, and all current AAS Members will receive an email with instructions for...

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TMtommazanec.bsky.social

The Buddha was not a family man. (from the Scripture in Forty-two Sections 四十二章經, ca. 1st–2nd cent CE, trans. Sharf)

Screenshot of text reading: The Buddha said: “The misery of being shackled to wife, children, wealth, and home is greater than that of being shackled in chains and fetters and thrown in prison. In prison there is the possibility of pardon, but even though the desire for wife and children is as perilous as the mouth of a tiger, men throw themselves into it willingly. For this crime there is no pardon.” 佛言：「人繫於妻子、寶宅之患，甚於牢獄、桎梏、鋃鐺。牢獄有原赦，妻子情欲雖有虎口之禍，己猶甘心投焉，其罪無赦。」
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Reposted by Tom Mazanec
JSjosephaseeley.bsky.social

Excited to announce that my university is doing a TT hire at the assistant level this year in Late Imperial China! Please spread the word. careers.insidehighered.com/job/3224146/...

Assistant Professor of History - Charlottesville, VA
Assistant Professor of History - Charlottesville, VA

DescriptionThe University of Virginia’s Corcoran Department of History invites applications for a tenure-track position, at the Assistant Professor ra

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TMtommazanec.bsky.social

Now in paperback!

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TM
Tom Mazanec
@tommazanec.bsky.social
Author, Poet-Monks (Cornell UP). Assoc prof at UC Santa Barbara. Premodern Chinese lit & religion, translation, digital humanities. JAOS editor. Father of 2. eastasian.ucsb.edu/people/faculty/thomas-mazanec/
399 followers261 following240 posts
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