Words by: Ksenija Carleton Illustration by: Kelly Roach “[…] Only my words bear me, a bird born from me who builds a nest in my ruins before me, and in the rubble of the enchanting world around me. I stood on the wind, and my long night was without end. This is my language, a necklace of stars around the necks of my loved ones.” Mahmoud Darwish, A Rhyme for the Odes (Mu’allaqat), 2008. At this year’s Venice Biennale – one of the contemporary art world’s most visited and talk

Words by: Rob Myatt Art by: Sharwin Falevich There is a theory in linguistics and translation studies that any act of translation, whether written or oral, professional or informal, involves not two, but three languages: the source language (German, for example), the target language (English, for example), and a third, intangible language. This third language exists only in the mind of the translator and consists not of words, but of signs and abstract concepts. It can theref

Words by: Lucien Maus Illustration by: Kotoha Tanaka The handal: a fruit tethered to the land, its solitary vines thriving in the arid desert sand. Handala: a boy who will soon return home, a witness. He is not alone. You are still thinking. You feel for your limbs. They are not there. What are you feeling? It becomes unknown. What did you used to feel, watching cartoons? You forgot the cartoons. The last image in your mind is the silver handcuffs, hanging heavy from your wri

[ENG] Dear Prattlers, New York City, like the rest of this country, is a place built by immigrants – and therefore shaped by the many languages that they speak. New York’s diversity is one of its most distinctive and precious characteristics. The same can be said about the student body here at Pratt. Indeed, many of us grew up in or around multicultural households where English was not necessarily the primary language, and have personal ties to other countries throughout the

Words and Art by: 陈醇 Chun Chen 24.04.1987, No. 129, Lane 1233, Xikang Road, Shanghai, 2025 Chun Chen screen print with cinnamon, cloves, and anise on wood panel, 18 x 24 cm, family photos from Chun Chen’s archive, from the "Spice House" work series https://chunchen.ch/ I call my mum in Shanghai to ask how to cook 红烧肉 (hóngshāoròu), a signature dish from Shanghai. It is pork belly slowly braised in soy sauce. Speck, ja. Hier in der Schweiz heisst das Speck. (Speck, yes. Here

Words by Talia Glazer Illustration by Ava Monroe My tias crowded the small table with enthusiastic gestures, throwing their hands in a passionate dance; these women always wore every feeling on their sleeves. Speaking over each other, the kitchen was a cacophony of Spanish, words jumbling together and falling on my small ears into a song of jazz indistinguishable, for the grown ups. I was just below eyeline, wandering around the comfortable chaos, occasionally tugging on my m

Words By Adri Rocks Illustration by Abigail Reiten Einbürgerung Naturalization In die Zwickmühle In the predicament zwischen zwei Ländern between two countries es ist nicht leicht zu sagen it’s not easy to say welches ist mir lieber weniger which one I prefer less Du hast einen Teil von mir verloren You’ve lost a part of me und ich habe ein Stück er

by Shanna Deneux Are you American? Ever met French people? They tried to speak to you and you couldn’t reply? This is for you. Are you French? Ever met American people? They tried to speak to you and you couldn’t reply? This is for you. Speaking to one another is one thing; understanding one another… Well, that’s another thing. Screw Duolingo; this is the guide you have been waiting for. A. Manual on how to Speak French for Americans 1. Repeat the words as if they were En