'Tías and Primas' and 'Linguaphile' are new nonfiction books on family and language

NPR's Book of the Day

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Arts, Books

4.2 • 671 Ratings

🗓️ 8 November 2024

⏱️ 17 minutes

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Summary

Two new nonfiction books blend research and memoir to explore ideas of family, language and culture. Prisca Dorcas Mojica Rodríguez's Tías and Primas draws on her experience being raised in a large Nicaraguan family, one that she describes as messier than the typical nuclear model. Her relationships with her mother, cousins, and aunts shaped her view of the world and the female archetypes that exist within Latin American culture. In today's episode, Rodríguez speaks with NPR's A Martínez about how nuance is lost in Latina stereotypes, the cultural significance of ghost encounters, and practicing critique from a place of love. Then, Julie Sedivy is a linguistics and psychology professor who started speaking five languages before first grade. Growing up in diverse linguistic environments inspired her memoir Linguaphile, which explores the relationship between language, emotion and life. In today's episode, she speaks with NPR's Eric Westervelt about the way linguistic divisions reflect our social reality and the surprising strengths of the aging brain.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey, it's NPR's Book of the Day. I'm Andrew Limbong. You learn a lot of things from your family.
0:07.6	Sometimes it's actual lessons, them sitting you down and teaching you stuff. Other times,
0:13.1	it's through simple osmosis, a side effect of just being around your family. We've got two memoirs
0:19.0	on the pod today that involve learning from family.
0:21.4	In a bit, we'll hear from a linguist about how sneakily deep and philosophical learning a language
0:26.4	can be. But first, author Prisca Dorcas Mohica Rodriguez has a new book out, and it's called
0:31.5	Tias and Primas. It's half a memoir about growing up in a tight-knit intergenerational household,
0:39.2	but it's also an examination of the gender rules and the archetypes the female members of her family fit into.
0:44.3	But in this interview with NPR's A. Martinez, she also talks about the ways in which she
0:48.7	doesn't fit in with her family. That's after the break.
0:52.9	In the U.S., national security news can feel far away from daily life.
0:57.7	Distant wars, murky conflicts, diplomacy behind closed doors.
1:02.2	On our new show, Sources and Methods.
1:04.2	NPR reporters on the ground bring you stories of real people,
1:08.0	helping you understand why distant events matter here at home.
1:11.8	Listen to sources and methods on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.
1:17.2	All right, let's be honest.
1:19.3	Families can be a lot sometimes, and I should know, I have a big one.
1:23.5	Among many other family members, I was raised by my mom and her five sisters,
1:27.8	my five theas, in one little house in Korea town in Los Angeles.
1:32.3	And while it was a lot sometimes, they made me, well, me.
1:36.4	In her new book, Thias and Primas, or Ants and Cousins, author Prisca Dorcas, Mogica Rodriguez,
	...

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