Senko K. Maynard

Senko K. Maynard, native of Yamanashi, Japan, is a linguist who resides in the USA. She specializes in linguistics and Japanese language studies, including conversation analysis, discourse analysis, pragmatics, linguistic philosophy, and translation theory. Incorporating both traditional Japanese language studies in Japan and linguistic, sociolinguistic, and literary theories developed in the West, she has produced extensive research on the Japanese language and discourse.

Senko K. Maynard has authored nearly 30 books (in Japanese and English) through Japanese, American, Dutch, and British publishers, and over 100 scholarly works (articles, reviews, etc.) in Japanese and international academic journals. She has presented 70 papers/talks/lectures at various locations (in the US, Japan, Canada, Mexico, Belgium, England, and Spain). Her books in the Japanese language are available at Amazon.co.jp. (泉子・Ｋ・メイナード)

While a high school student at Kofu First High School, she spent her senior year abroad in Corning, Iowa, as a foreign student under the American Field Service Program. She graduated from Tokyo University of Foreign Studies in Tokyo (BA), from the University of Illinois at Chicago (MA), and from Northwestern University where she earned her Ph.D. in Theoretical Linguistics.

Dr. Maynard has taught Japanese language and linguistics at several American universities, including the University of Hawai'i, Connecticut College, Harvard University, Princeton University (with tenure), and Rutgers University (with tenure). She is currently Distinguished Professor of Japanese language and linguistics in the Department of Asian Languages and Cultures at Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA.

As a scholar, she has explored issues often neglected in Western linguistics, such as emotivity and linguistic theory, a modality-centered view toward language, multi-genre analysis, creativity and play in language, as well as the multiplicity of self, perspective, and voice. Dr. Maynard analyzes a wide variety of Japanese language forms such as ordinary casual conversation, magazine articles, and modern novels. Her studies also examine popular culture products such as light (graphic) novels, keetai (mobile phone) novels, advertising, comics, and music performance, among others. Her research has led her to propose theories of language and philosophical views toward discourse that challenge some of the basic assumptions and commonly held beliefs within Western scholarly traditions. Her recent publications include Fluid Orality in the Discourse of Japanese Popular Culture (John Banjamins 2016), Exploring the Self, Subjectivity, and Character across Japanese and Translation Texts (Brill 2022), 話者の言語哲学　日本語文化を彩るバリエーションとキャラクター　(くろしお出版 2017), 日本語本質論　翻訳テクスト分析が映し出す姿（明治書院 2019). and ミステリードラマの日本語　発話と記号の演出を探る（くろしお出版　2023).

　

Based on her research and teaching, Dr. Maynard has also authored books for teachers and students of Japanese language and culture. To accommodate a more inclusive global audience, she has written more than a few of her instructional and reference books in the English language.

Senko K. Maynard has many years of training in the art of Japanese brush writing, and in 2009 achieved the Sixth Level of mastery (roku-dan) from the Gen'en Institute of Japanese Calligraphy (Yamanashi, Japan). Level Six (of 13) is the highest level one can achieve before reaching the ranks of Calligraphy Master. Senko K. Maynard is also an award-winning watercolor artist. Her artistic interests have resulted in cover designs as well as calligraphy work and watercolor sketches that appear in some of her published works.