Swet Columns
August 1, 2014
SWET’s Presence at IJET-25 in Tokyo
On June 21-22, 2014, the Japan Association of Translators (JAT) held its 25th annual International Japanese-English Translators’ Conference (IJET) at Big Sight, Tokyo, Japan. A total of 560 people registered—the most in IJET’s history. The SWET Steering Committee thought it the perfect opportunity to advertise our organization to fellow wordsmiths who had gathered from Europe, Australasia, and the... more
July 23, 2014
A Sugar-Coated Guide to Grammar
Reviewed by Susan Schmidt (April 15, 2007)
Grammar Snobs Are Great Big Meanies, by June Casagrande. New York: Penguin Books, 2006. 212 pages. Paperback. ISBN-13 798-0143036838; ISBN-10 0143036831. $14.00.
Subtitled A Guide to Language for Fun and Spite, this slim volume promises to be a treat for the word maven: a sugar-coated guide to grammar and usage that will entertain while it informs.... more
July 21, 2014
A Grammar Book with Personality and Pizzazz
Reviewed by Jay Revelle It was the best of sentences, it was the worst of sentences, by June Casagrande. New York: Ten Speed Press, 2010. 207 pages. ISBN: 978-1-58008-740-7.
“Great writing isn’t born, it’s built—sentence by sentence.” Thus begins grammar maven June Casagrande’s wonderfully witty and practical writer’s guide to the good writing of that most basic structural element: the sentence. After... more
May 31, 2014
SWET Style Sheet
SWET Style Sheet and Submission Guidelines These guidelines are intended for articles published in SWET online and print publications (revised May 2014).
MATTERS OF STYLE In general, follow the Chicago Manual of Style, 16th edition (CMS16). For spelling and hyphenation, follow Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 11th edition. For style issues specific... more
April 7, 2014
A Delectable Assortment: Translators Showcase Advice, Writing Skills
By Rachael Ragalye
Translator Perspectives (Hon’yakusha no mesen). Tokyo: Japan Association of Translators, 2013. 97 pages. ISBN 978-4-906408-09-2.
Of all the things I expected to see in a volume titled Translator Perspectives, advice about what makes for a good udon noodle shop was not one of them. In his essay Oishii kake-udon o mezashite, Kunieda Shirō tells us that the true test... more
February 12, 2014
An Afternoon with Amy Chavez
By Ted Taylor
Amy Chavez spoke to SWET Kansai about her life as a writer and the challenges of the profession, especially with the publishing of her latest book, Running the Shikoku Pilgrimage: 900 Miles to Enlightenment. (See also Japan Funny Side Up.) Chavez came to Japan in 1993 on an exchange program to fulfill her requirements... more