Junularo Esperantista Young Esperantists de Nord-Ameriko (JEN) of North America > PUBLICITY SECTION Hews Digest b Central Street Millers Falls, Mass. OI3U9 No. h May, 1967 YOUNG ESPERANTO SPEAKERS ORGANIZE SEMINAR! A unique event in the United States — a seminar for speakers of the international language Esperanto who are inter- ested in improving their language ability — took place in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on 22-23 April. Organized by the Young Esperantists of North America (JEN), the seminar's discussions were led by Or. William Solzbacher, of Washington, 0. C. Dr. Solzbacher, who learned Esperanto in Europe in his youth, is now the only U. S. member of the Esperanto Academy. (The Academy, whose membership is made up of leading linguists, oversees the de- velopment of Esperanto and gives its approval to new words after they have begun to gain acceptance among the speakers of the language.) The seminar was based on "Vitralo", a col- lection of short stories written originally in Esperanto by Scottish author John Francis. Participants, who came from as far away as Indiana, discussed Esperanto poetry, literature, drama, and the history of the language. On Saturday evening, the group visited Muhlenberg College, Allentown, Pa. (see below). The general reaction at trie conclusion of the seminar was that JEN should arrange more of them, and often. Those prepared to organize such a seminar on JEN's behalf in their areas are urged to contact JEN. "LORD OF THE SHADOWS" PRESENTED AT MUHLENBERG COLLEGE: "Lord of the Shadows," one play of a•trilogy by Hindu writer Amir Natardark, was presented at Muhlenberg College, Allentown, Pennsylvania, on 22 April. The play was translated into Esperanto from its original Latone (an ancient Dravidian language, still in use in religious ceremony) by Joseph Conroy, a student at the College. A program note, adapted from the author's own introduction, explains that the play "is the tale of the last days of the Three Lands of Latona in this , world. Here is the tale of Murano and Tandilo battling against each other in evil folly, to become supreme in power, and trapping tiny Aryano in their foul destruction. Here is the tale of the First-Born's retreat from the habitations of men, beyond the circles of the world. And here also is the prophecy of the time to come when the two Paths will join in the darkest days, to bring about the brightest." Because some of the actors were not proficient in Esper- anto, the play was presented in mime, with elaborate and sometimes very graceful gestures, while the text was recited offstage. Glen Moyer, who directed the play, created the gestures used in this presentation. It was not made clear in the program whether this is the traditional way in which such plays are performed. More background information about the play in the pro- gram would have been useful. Although Mr. Moyer's skilled miming and fine sense of rhythm was not matched by the other actors, the end result was good. Mr. Conroy's excellent trans- lation deserves special credit, although it is a pity that one or two of the offstage voices didn't do it full justice. If the whole did not reach professional standards, it should be borne in mind that it was in the nature of an experiment. Congratulations to the Muhlenberg Esperanto speakers for their courage and enterprise. WILL NORTH ADAMS TEACHERS LEARN ESPERANTO? That question will be answered on 20 May, when a seminar will be held in North Adams, Mass., to discuss the problem. Allan Boschen, Computer Engineer at the General Electric Company in Fittsfield, Mass., has been working for the past six months to arrange a summer course in Esperanto for teachers at the North Adams State Teachers College. To date, eighteen teachers have indicated a desire to study the language this summer. The main problem now is to find a teacher, with a Master's Degree, who is free to teach in North Adams this summer. At the May seminar, Mr. Boschen plans to meet with the Superintendent of Schools, and possible teachers of the language, to discuss the problem. Page 2 LITTLE UNITED NATIONS MEETING IN INDIANA: United Nations Association),) 1967. M»yt W The annual meeting of LUNA (Little took place at the University of Indiana, from 22-25 February, Students from different areas of the United States, and from several other countries, represented on a smaller scale the functioning of the United Nations, with proposals, com- mittees, resolutions, and decisions on international law, showing an excellent knowledge of the workings of the United Nations. After four days of proposals, and voting on matters of politics, a final resolution, which favored the solution of the language problem in the United Nations and throughout the world, was presented by the delegate from Japan,and was passed by a large majority. The solution suggested was the international language Esperanto. LUNA to study the introduction of Esperanto as an official language committee will also study the possibility that Esperanto be taught in the schools of evehy country, along with the native language of the country. The committee will be organized under the direction of LUNESCO (Little UNESCO), and will be named the "Committee for the Study of a Universal Language". The conclusions of theCommittee are to be published before the end of 1969. "SALUTON, AMINO>[": JEN member Joseph Lanzone was recently interviewed about agreed to set up a committee of the United Nations. This his experiences at the Universal Congress of Esperanto held in Tokyo, Japan, in the summer of 1965. Entitled "Saluton, Amikoj," the article appeared in the March 15 issue of READ (a magazine for junior high and high school students), and is available from Read Magazine, American Education Publications, a High Street, Middleton, Connecticut 06457. If you have seen the article, write to RIAD and let them know what you think of it. INTERNATIONAL NEWS ESPERANTO AUTHOR1 DIES: The death of Julio Baghy in Budapest on 18 March was a big blow for Esperanto literature. Most critics consider that Baghy, along with his com- patriot Kalman Kalocsay, did ternational Language. Baghy and teaching it until his dea more than anyone else to create a lasting literature in the In- learned Esperanto when he was 20, and remained active in writing th at the age of 76, Baghy's original works — five novels, four volumes of poetry, three volumes of short stories, and various other works — enjoy special popularity among the worldwide readership of Esperanto literature, and several have been translated into national languages. His textbooks on Esperanto for Hungarians have reached sales totalling 40,000 copies. Baghy's last volume of poetry, "Rainbow," was pub- lished only a few weeks before his death. PROBLEMS OF DEMOCRACY DISCUSSED: Twenty young Esperanto speakers from Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and Britain took part in the International Youth Meeting recently held in Aachen, Germany. The, meeting, twelfth in the German Young Esperantists' spring series, was devoted to lectures and discussions on "Problems of Democracy". Participants heard lectures from German and Dutch experts, joined in exceptionally lively debates, and also visited a number of nearby points of interest.. ESPERANTO MAKES STRIDES IN BRITAIN: The Annual Report of the British Esperanto Association, in the May issue of its journal, notes considerable progress in the Association's activities. Esperanto is now:an officially recognized subject in some state school-leavers' examinations, courses for teachers are held from time to time, BEA's 1966 annual meeting at- tracted nearly 500 speakers of Esperanto. On other fronts, the Young Esperantists (JEN s counterpart in Britain) continue to increase their numbers, church services in Esperanto are a regular feature in a numberlof cities, and BEA's library in London (already one of the largest collections of Esperanto books in the world) continues to expand. Forty Members of Parliament signed the proposal on Esperanto recently submitted to the United Nations in New York. Among radio and television programs concerned with Esperanto, one reached an audience of four million viewers. A long article appeared in the respected London newspaper Sunday Telegraph, another in the Teacher and a third in a recent issue of the Times Educational Supplement. Well over a hundred lesser articles and reports appeared in the press. HUNGARIAN FILM FEATURES ESPERANTO: Distrust between the generations—that is the theme of a new film recently produced in Hungary with soundtrack in Esperanto. The film tells the story of Esperanto Spring, a beauty spot created by Esperanto speakers in the Pilis Hills, near Budapest, in the 1920's. Over the years, the spring fell into disrepair, and in /cont"d. Page 3 May. 1967 1966 it was decided to rebuild the fabric surrounding the spring, in celebration of the Universal Congress of Esperanto held in Budapest in August. Unexpected help was received from a party of young Esperanto speakers, from various countries, who joined in the work. The film chronicles the gradual growth in trust between the two generations working side by side in the projeot. COURSES AND SEMINARS CALIFORNIA: An intensive weekend course in Esperanto will be given by the University of California, Education Extension. Called "Teaching Esperanto in the Elementary School," the course will be held 27-28 May, for one-unit credit, at a fee of $20. The course is designed for non-speakers of Esperanto, with emphasis on an overview of the language, good pronunciation, and comprehension of basic grammar. In addition, teaching methods, materials and philosophy will be presented. PORTLAND, OREGON: At Woodmere School, in Portland, an Esperanto course for teachers began on March 28. Taught by Hazel Heusser and entitled "Workshop in the Inter- national Language," the ten-week course carries two in-service credits. Ten teachers, repre- senting three Portland schools, are meeting for two hours each Tuesday. The textbook is Batt's "A School Esperanto Course". The course is intended to be an introduction to Esper- anto, so that teachers can continue to study by themselves and introduce use language to their students. (Espilo. April, 1967) WILMINGTON, OHIO: Attention high school seniors: Wilmington College, Wil- mington, Ohio A5177, invites you to apply for its new "Peace Corps Program". If accepted, you can get a college education and serve abroad as a Peace Corps Volunteer, all in five years, one year less than would otherwise be possible. This is a cooperative effort of the College and the Corps. For more information and application materials for the coming fall, write now to the college, at the above address. LODZ, POLAND: A seminar on Polish Contemporary Film was held in Lodz from 23-26 April, 1967. The purposeof the seminar was to bring to the attention of the partici- pants the problems of Polish contemporary filmmaking, and to point out the achievements in different categories of film producing, such as documentation, animation, etc. The seminar was organized by the Esperanto-speaking Students' Science Circle at Lodz University. At the same time, an exhibit on Polish films entitled "The Art of the Poster in Poland and Abroad" was presented at the University Library. MISCELLANEOUS NEWS SPEAKING ESPERANTO IN THE HOME: With Esperanto marriages becoming more and more common -- i.e. marriages in which the only language the couple has in common is Esperanto — special situations arise. Children learn to speak Esperanto in the home, at an early age. For the parents of just such children, a new publication has appeared in Britian under the auspices of the Universal Esperanto Association. Entitled "Gepatra Bulteno", the quarterly periodical is designed as a medium of communication for parents to exchange their experiences with others in the same situation. WILLY BRANDT SPEAKS OUT: "Language diversity is the most serious obstacle to friendship and understanding among peoples...The international language Esperanto over a long period has endeavored to erase that barrier. The successes of Esperanto are acknowledged by UNESCO...The improvement of international relations should be the top duty of every politically active man," declared Willy Brandt, Foreign Minister of West Germany in a recent article in the German Esperanto Review. ESPERANTO INTRODUCED IN JAPANESE UNIVERSITY: The last few weeks (the be- ginning of the academic year in Japan) have seen the opening of a course in Esperanto at Syowa University in Tokyo. The course is available to students as an elective, and is taught by Mr. Akira Morita. l*£°Jt May, 1967 SOPIRAS HOMOJ IRI PILGRIMADI: If members of JEN were wondering about the rather odd title of JEN's recent vacation booklet, maybe they're in need of a course in English lit- erature. The title {pronounced, for those readers who don't speak Esperanto, sop-eer-ahs hom-oy eer-ee peel-greem-ahd-ee) translates as "Thanne longen folk to goon on pilgrimages." If you're still none the wiser, take a look at Chaucer's "Canterbury Tales," where this description of the spring appears. In modern English, it means "Then folk long to go on pilgrimages." ■There's one way to brush up on your Chaucer and your Esperanto at the same time. Invest in "Angla Antologio," a remarkable collection of English literature in trans- lation compiled by British writers William Auld and R. Rossetti, and translated by a team of experts. The volume covers the period 1000-1800, beginning with "The Seafarer," a poem originally in Anglo-Saxon. As well as selections from Chaucer, there are represntative pas- sages from Wyatt, Spenser, Sir Walter Ralegh, Sidney, Shakespeare, Donne, Milton, Dryden, Pope and Blake in the poetry section, Malory, Bacon, Defoe, Swift, Fielding, Johnson, Sterne and Gibbon in prose. The 300-page volume includes selections from minor authors as well as including some well-known items like Gray's "Elegy" and Blake's "Tiger". The volume is introduced by literary expert Marjorie Boulton, and includes a bibliography of English works in Esperanto. If readers object to Shakespeare's "Cu mi komparu vin al tag' somera?/Vi estas ja pli bela kaj serena" and prefer his glorious English, they might think of their foreign friends and buy the book for them. Available from West Coast Esperanto Book Service, 2129 Elizabeth Street, San Carlos, Calif. 9L070, the price is a low $3.25. What work in Esperanto would you like our readers to know about? We welcome your suggestions. NOTICES --From June 1 to September 1, please address all mail concerning JEN and/or the News Digest to: Mr. Arthur Morse, 4 Central Street, Millers Falls, Mass. 01349. —Mark Mandel, a student at St. John's College, Annapolis, Maryland, has volun- teered to work on a traveling exhibition for JEN, suitable for libraries and congresses. If you have materials which you would like to contribute, please write to Mark, at the College. —Sopiras Homoj Iri Pilgrimadi, the vacation booklet mentioned above, lists various congresses, meetings and seminars to be held in Europe this summer. Indispensable to the Esperanto-speaking traveller. Available from JEN for just 50^ - get your copy now! NEWS IN BRIEF --The German Railways announced recently that four million copies of their official directory have been published since 1953 — all with summaries in Esperanto. --Israeli postal authorities announce the publication of a special stamp with text in Esperanto, on the occasion of the 52nd Universal Congress of Esperanto, in August. —A surgical operation in Ruse, Bulgaria, by a team of surgeons at Ruse Hospital, Bulgaria, was provided with commentary in Esperanto for the benefit of medical students viewing the operation. —The Welsh League of Youth is once again publishing its Annual Goodwill Message on May 18 in Esperanto. Write to JEN for the text. WHAT TO DO THIS SUMMER? If you'd rather learn Esperanto on a desert island this summer, it can be done, provided said island has a mailbox, and you have JEN's International Correspondence Course. Based on the direct-method textbook, Privilegia Vojo al Lingvoscio, by Finnish author V. Sefala, the course contains 26 lessons, has a normal completion time of one school semester {or a summer of hard work). Fee is $26, including textbook. Just fill out the form below: INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENCE COURSE ENROLLMENT APPLICATION FORM (Send this form to: Francis R. Lanzone, Jr., Treasurer of JEN, 2129 Elizabeth St., San Carlos, Calif. 9E07O, and make check payable to "Young Esperantists of North America") Name________ Address_________________________________________.City__________________State________Zip______ 0 c c upa tion Age Top t ional) Reason for learning Esperanto ______________________________________________________________ Previous foreign language experience, if any_________________________________________________ Enclosed is my course fee of $26. Please enroll me in the International Correspondence Course immediately, and send me course materials and the name and address of my instructor. Signature