[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 108 (Thursday, July 25, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1137-E1138]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    CONGRATULATING DR. ERDAG GOKNAR

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. G.K. BUTTERFIELD

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 25, 2013

  Mr. BUTTERFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate Dr. Erdag Goknar 
of Duke University in Durham, North Carolina for being honored by the 
National Endowment for the Arts, NEA, and awarded a 2014 NEA Literature 
Translation Fellowship.
  Dr. Goknar serves at Duke University as an Assistant Professor of 
Turkish Studies and concentrates on late Ottoman and modern Turkish 
works. He also specializes in politics and cultural translation on 
works from the Middle East, including Islam and Sufism as well as 
secular modernity, identity, and gender issues. He is a published 
author on Turkish literary culture and has produced three complete 
translations of important Turkish books.

[[Page E1138]]

Dr. Goknar has an impressive list of national and international 
accomplishments, including receiving two Fulbright awards and the 
Dublin IMPAC literary award. He holds a PhD and Master's Degree from 
the University of Washington, Seattle.
  Since 1981, the NEA has helped support the accessibility of priceless 
pieces of literature to all Americans by providing Literature 
Translation Fellowships to outstanding scholars to help translate those 
works into English. For 22 years the NEA has awarded 255 fellowships to 
help translate different pieces of literature in 62 languages from 78 
countries. This year, after a rigorous review process, only 16 scholars 
are being awarded a total of $250,000 to translate works in 13 
languages from 15 countries into English.
  Mr. Speaker, I commend Dr. Goknar on his commitment and contributions 
to helping more Americans access important literary works through 
translation. In an increasingly globalized society, it is critical to 
understand those from other places and walks of life. Literature 
provides perspective and context into important cultural trends and 
ideals, so we must invest in learning all we can through works in other 
languages and from other places.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring and 
congratulating Dr. Erdag Goknar and other 2014 NEA Literature 
Translation Fellowship recipients for their outstanding work and 
commitment to helping others access important pieces of literature.

                          ____________________