ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the effects of exile on language and, by extension, on the shifting identities of exiles. It is based on two creative experiences of the author: a translation of his memoir, originally written in English, into his mother tongue, and his creation of a sound art piece titled In My Language I Am Smart, dealing with strategies of establishing identity through the acquisition of language. The noise of new culture permeates the exile’s life. The information becomes coded and difficult to comprehend and use. In Lacanian terms, this effectively prevents the exile from reaching the mirror phase that is needed to enter the new society. The author argues that performing exile means performing decryption.
