A Review That Wasn'r

[john at research.haifa.ac.il]

While we're on the topic, I was told by Language about a year ago that my
Benjamins book on language, religion, and national identity would
be reviewed, and since then I've heard nothing from them on the topic.
I was just about to ask them what's happening.

Esa, how about just posting your review here?

John Myhill




Quoting Esa Itkonen <eitkonen at utu.fi>:

> Dear FUNKNETters:
>
> The following true story may have some not-just-personal interest.
>
> In 1981 the review editor of LANGUAGE asked me to write a review of 'On
> Language Change' (CUP, 1980) by Roger Lass. Since I felt that the topic was
> important enough, I wrote a lengthy review, which was subsequently promoted
> to the exalted status of a review article (= Language 1981, volume 57, number
> 3, pp. 688-697).
>
> Exactly 25 years later I was asked by the review editor of LANGUAGE (a
> different one, to be sure) to write a review of 'Context as Other Minds'
> (Benjamins, 2005) by Tom Givףn. I was first worried that the review might
> turn out to be too long, but I got the reassurance that the length was just
> right. So I sent the review well before the end-of-May (or-June?) deadline.
> Then there was silence. After more than one year had passed, I asked about
> any possible news. So far, there has been no response.
>
> I find it difficult to believe that during these intervening 25 years my
> professional skills have deteriorated to the point that a review written by
> me is no longer fit to print. But even if this were the case, common courtesy
> demands that I should be told so. Then, in any case, I would have had the
> opportunity to offer the review to some other journal and to find out whether
> the reaction would be the same or - perhaps - different.
>
> What can we learn from this incident? I for one have learned the review
> policy of LANGUAGE: "Write a review, one that WE have solicited, so that we
> can throw it away, and you'll never hear from us again!" In the meantime
> people - at least those who have not read the book - may still not know what
> Givףn (2005) is all about. I am sure that some would like to know.
>
> Presumably there are other people around who are likewise displeased by
> arrogance coming from powers-that-be.
>
> Esa
>
> Homepage: http://users.utu.fi/eitkonen
>




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