Copyright 2012 catranslation.orgcatranslation.org blog rss feed.http://www.catranslation.orgen-ushttp://www.catranslation.org/blogpost/that-other-word-episode-3-may-2012In this rather German conversation, Daniel Medin and Scott Esposito discuss the melancholy and pleasure in the most recent collection of W.G. Sebaldandrsquo;s poetry to appear in English, Across the Land and the Water: Selected Poems 1964-2001. History is a found object in Sebald, and also in December, a wintry advent calendar of thirty-nine short stories by Alexander Kluge and thirty-nine photographs by Gerhard Richter. Robert Walserandrsquo;s The Walk may induce laughing out loud at the wilderness, and the thirtieth anniversary of Julio Cortandaacute;zar and Carol Dunlopandrsquo;s Autonauts of the Cosmoroute should inspire some very leisurely drives from Paris to Marseilles. In the second half of the episode, Scott Esposito interviews Benjamin Moser, author of Why This World: A Biography of Clarice Lispector. Moser has recently re-translated Lispectorandrsquo;s last novel, The Hour of the Star, and is currently editing a series of four of her earlier works for New Directions (Near to the Wild Heart, A Breath of Life, Agua Viva, and The Passion According to G.H.).Tue, 15 May 2012 16:33:32 GMTTue, 15 May 2012 16:33:32 GMThttp://www.catranslation.org/blogpost/a-night-of-fairy-talesTo close out the 2011-12 Two Voices season, join us for a special evening on translating fairy tales! Kate Bernheimer, Ilya Kaminsky, and Maria Tartar take you deep into the dark woods with readings from classic and contemporary fairytales. And these aren't the fairytales you grew up withandmdash;they're the darkest, scariest tales you've ever heard! A reception with cash bar will follow the event. If you can make it, definitely plan to drop by. This event is super affordable, and promises to be a memorable experience!Mon, 14 May 2012 16:33:32 GMTMon, 14 May 2012 16:33:32 GMThttp://www.catranslation.org/blogpost/two-voices-novelist-sergio-chejfecIn his Two Voices presentation on May 8, lauded Argentine author Sergio Chejfec started by explaining the biographical roots of his strange, compelling novel The Planets. The book is about an Argentine who goes missing during the military dictatorship of 1976-82, and Chejfec began by explaining that the plot of the book actually has to do with a friend of his who did disappear during the military dictatorship for the 1970s. He was one of an estimated 30,000 Argentines to disappear during that span.Thu, 10 May 2012 16:33:32 GMTThu, 10 May 2012 16:33:32 GMThttp://www.catranslation.org/blogpost/two-lines-best-translated-book-awardOn Friday, Open Letter Press announced its winners for the Best Translated Book Awards for 2011. The poetry winner was Kiwao Nomuraandrsquo;s Spectacle andamp; Pigsty, translated from the Japanese by Kyoko Yoshida and Forrest Gander, which we excerpted back in July 2011 at TWO LINES Online. The part we excerpted is very striking, just on a visual level, and it's no surprise that this book went on to take the award . . .Mon, 7 May 2012 16:33:32 GMTMon, 7 May 2012 16:33:32 GMThttp://www.catranslation.org/blogpost/richard-howard-out-in-the-bayIn this audio, Pulitzer-winner poet and legendary translator Richard Howard discusses his career and reads his work. He talks about works he's written in the voice of famous individuals, such as Isadora Duncanandmdash;and about how this writing relates to his work with translation. Howard touches on his famous translation of Baudelaire's Les Fleurs du mal, particularly how he chose to deal with Baudelaire's challenging rhyme scheme. (He chose, controversially, to abandon the terminal rhymes.) Howard explain show he translated the poems so as to evoke the feeling of rhymes without actually making the lines rhyme as did Baudelaire. He also reads from his translation of Standeacute;phane Mallarmandeacute;'s andquot;Afternoon of a Faun.andquot;Thu, 3 May 2012 16:33:32 GMTThu, 3 May 2012 16:33:32 GMThttp://www.catranslation.org/blogpost/two-lines-online-may-2012We've just published the May installement of TWO LINES Online. In it we offer two excerpts from the Italian novel Exhausted Space written by Tommaso Pincio, aka the Italian Thomas Pynchon. No joke: here's translator Acacia O'Connor's bio note for Pincio . . .Thu, 3 May 2012 16:33:32 GMTThu, 3 May 2012 16:33:32 GMThttp://www.catranslation.org/blogpost/center-people-in-the-newsThis week brings some nice news for friends of the Center. First off, we see Katherine Silver (listen to her Litandamp;Lunch appearance here, or read her in TWO LINES) getting a great New York Times review for her translation of Mexican author Daniel Sada's Almost Never. In said review, we see something that andquot;almost neverandquot; happens occur: authentic praise for a translator in a book review . . .Tue, 1 May 2012 16:33:32 GMTTue, 1 May 2012 16:33:32 GMThttp://www.catranslation.org/blogpost/arts-education-and-school-achievementWe at the Center are fervent supporters of arts in the schoolsandmdash;that's one of the reasons why we've expanded our Poetry Inside Out program to over 40 classes in the past year. Weandrsquo;re excited to see the high profile that arts education has been commanding recently and wanted to share a few recent developments with you.Mon, 30 Apr 2012 16:33:32 GMTMon, 30 Apr 2012 16:33:32 GMThttp://www.catranslation.org/blogpost/from-exhausted-space-chapters-14-and-15Thu, 26 Apr 2012 16:33:32 GMTThu, 26 Apr 2012 16:33:32 GMThttp://www.catranslation.org/blogpost/sergio-chejfec-called-exciting-new-argentine-novelistOn May 8 we'll be hosting Sergio Chejfec in person for an event at 111 Minna. Over at The Argentina Independent, Joey Rubin has named him as one of 5 Argentine authors that you need to check out. I couldn't agree more . . .Tue, 24 Apr 2012 16:33:32 GMTTue, 24 Apr 2012 16:33:32 GMThttp://www.catranslation.org/blogpost/that-other-word-episode-2-april-2012In this episode, Scott Esposito eagerly anticipates the Dirty War in Sergio Chejfecandrsquo;s The Planets, and Daniel Medin shares a delightful description of a freeloader from Nescioandrsquo;s Amsterdam Stories. They discuss Daniel Sadaandrsquo;s Almost Never and the general robustness of contemporary Mexican fiction, attempt to explain why reading Can Xueandrsquo;s Vertical Motion is like running downhill in the dark, then hesitate over whether to call Daniel Levin Beckerandrsquo;s Many Subtle Channels a memoir or a work of criticism, but agree that it is about Oulipo and very candid. Daniel Medin then speaks to Petra Hardt, head of the rights department at Suhrkamp Verlag and author of Rights: Buying. Protecting. Selling. Suhrkamp is one of the most prestigious presses in Germany and in Europe, and since its founding in 1950 has published not only many of the greatest German-language writers of the twentieth century andmdash; among them Paul Celan, Theodor W. Adorno, and Thomas Bernhard andmdash; but foreign authors as well, including Samuel Beckett, Marcel Proust, and Julio Cortandaacute;zar.Tue, 17 Apr 2012 16:33:32 GMTTue, 17 Apr 2012 16:33:32 GMThttp://www.catranslation.org/blogpost/richard-sieburth-damion-searls-pick-up-guggenheimsThe 2012 Guggenheim fellows were announced this morning, and translators Richard Sieburth and Damion Searls have been honored with fellowships.Thu, 12 Apr 2012 16:33:32 GMTThu, 12 Apr 2012 16:33:32 GMThttp://www.catranslation.org/blogpost/jay-rubin-j-philip-gabriel-translating-murakamiOn April 3, 2012, translators Jay Rubin and J. Philip Gabrielandmdash;best-known as the main English translators of Haruki Murakmai's novels and short storiesandmdash;discussed their work with the Japanese master of the surreal's latest book, 1Q84. The event got off to a proper start with a discussion of one of the primary questions surrounding 1Q84: how do you pronounce its title? Jay Rubin canvassed the audience for answers, which ranged from andquot;nineteen-eighty-fourandquot; to andquot;eye-que-eight-fourandquot; (which Rubin ruled out, since the first character is a number one). He then went on to a discussion of the role that the title plays in the novel . . .Thu, 5 Apr 2012 16:33:32 GMTThu, 5 Apr 2012 16:33:32 GMThttp://www.catranslation.org/blogpost/two-lines-online-april-2012We've just published the April 2012 edition of TWO LINES Online. It includes a poem by Nobel Peace Prize recipient Lui Xiaobo, translated by poet and New Directions editor Jeffrey Yang. This is from Graywolf Press' forthcoming collection of Xiaobo's poetry, June Fourth Elegies, translated by Yang.Thu, 5 Apr 2012 16:33:32 GMTThu, 5 Apr 2012 16:33:32 GMThttp://www.catranslation.org/blogpost/april-3-see-murakamis-translators-next-weekNext week we'll be hosting Jay Rubin and J. Philip Gabriel who, collectively, have translated the majority of Haruki Murakami's books into English. Among other things they'll speak about 1Q84, which they co-translatedandmdash;a first. We'll be selling copies of 1Q84 there, and you can get yours signed.Tue, 27 Mar 2012 16:33:32 GMTTue, 27 Mar 2012 16:33:32 GMThttp://www.catranslation.org/blogpost/poetry-inside-out-success-story-from-manzanita-seedWith Poetry Inside Out now teaching translation and poetry in numerous schools throughout the Bay Area, we thought we'd offer some reports from the field. Here's one from Manzanita SEED Elementary in East Oakland, where students were translating Dante.Mon, 26 Mar 2012 16:33:32 GMTMon, 26 Mar 2012 16:33:32 GMThttp://www.catranslation.org/blogpost/that-other-word-episode-1-march-2012In this first episode, Scott Esposito interviews Lorin Stein, editor of The Paris Review and former senior editor at Farrar, Straus and Giroux. They discuss editing the English version of Jean-Christophe Valtatandrsquo;s 03 (translated by Mitzi Angel), procuring the rights to Roberto Bolaandntilde;oandrsquo;s works and editing Natasha Wimmerandrsquo;s translations, and Stein's translation of Edouard Levandeacute;'s book Autoportrait. Daniel Medin and Scott Esposito also chat about Candeacute;sar Airaandrsquo;s Varamo, Landaacute;szlandoacute; Krasznahorkaiandrsquo;s Satantango, and Robert Walserandrsquo;s Berlin Stories.Tue, 20 Mar 2012 16:33:32 GMTTue, 20 Mar 2012 16:33:32 GMThttp://www.catranslation.org/blogpost/poetry-inside-out-students-finalists-river-of-wordsA record six Poetry Inside Out (PIO) students have been chosen as finalists in the national River of Words contest, judged by former U.S. poet laureate Robert Hass. We at the Center would like to extend a hearty congratulations to the students and the instructors who have worked so hard to make this possible. The six finalists are: Patricia Fong, Karissa Wong, and Matthew Yamamoto, all from Monroe Elementary in San Francisco; Emmalee Wong and Abdul Tawil, from Sutro Elementary, also in San Francisco; and Kamala Rose, from West Marin Elementary in Point Reyes Station.Mon, 19 Mar 2012 16:33:32 GMTMon, 19 Mar 2012 16:33:32 GMThttp://www.catranslation.org/blogpost/two-voices-peter-constantine-on-3000-years-of-greek-poetryIn this audio, translator Peter Constantine argues passionately against the notion that there is a past to Greek poetry and a present, but no middle. Here, Constantine offers ample evidence of all the great Greek poetry written between the ancient and modern eras.Thu, 15 Mar 2012 16:33:32 GMTThu, 15 Mar 2012 16:33:32 GMThttp://www.catranslation.org/blogpost/poetry-inside-out-documentaryThe documentary that filmmaker Joyce Lee made about the Center's Poetry Inside Out education program has been picked up for KQED's Truly CA Shorts series. You can see it on that station's webpage here.Thu, 15 Mar 2012 16:33:32 GMTThu, 15 Mar 2012 16:33:32 GMThttp://www.catranslation.org/blogpost/pura-lopez-colome-at-three-percentThe Three Percent blog from Open Letter Books has a review of with Mexican writer Pura Landoacute;pez Colomandeacute;'s latest book of poetry, Watchword, and an interview with her translator Forrest Gander. The Center did an event with Landoacute;pez Colomandeacute; and Mexican novelist Carmen Boullosa in fall 2011, which you can hear at the link. You can also read one of Gander's translations of Landoacute;pez Colomandeacute;'s poems at TWO LINES Online: andquot;Prism.andquot;Thu, 15 Mar 2012 16:33:32 GMTThu, 15 Mar 2012 16:33:32 GMThttp://www.catranslation.org/blogpost/poetry-inside-out-success-story-from-emerson-elementaryThu, 8 Mar 2012 16:33:32 GMTThu, 8 Mar 2012 16:33:32 GMThttp://www.catranslation.org/blogpost/next-week-lit-lunch-with-peter-constantineJoin us next Tuesday, March 13, for translator extraordinaire Peter Constantine as he takes us through 3,000 years of Greek poetry. It takes place at 111 Minna Gallery in downtown San Francisco (map here), starting at 12:30 sharp.Tue, 6 Mar 2012 16:33:32 GMTTue, 6 Mar 2012 16:33:32 GMThttp://www.catranslation.org/blogpost/two-lines-online-march-2012We've just published the March 2012 edition of TWO LINES Online: 6 poems by the French-language poet Josandeacute;-Flore Tappy, in John Taylor's masterful translations.Mon, 5 Mar 2012 16:33:32 GMTMon, 5 Mar 2012 16:33:32 GMThttp://www.catranslation.org/blogpost/but-already-tappyMon, 5 Mar 2012 16:33:32 GMTMon, 5 Mar 2012 16:33:32 GMThttp://www.catranslation.org/blogpost/dressed-in-paperMon, 5 Mar 2012 16:33:32 GMTMon, 5 Mar 2012 16:33:32 GMThttp://www.catranslation.org/blogpost/grasp-the-too-brief-lightMon, 5 Mar 2012 16:33:32 GMTMon, 5 Mar 2012 16:33:32 GMThttp://www.catranslation.org/blogpost/luminous-shears-cut-through-the-darknessMon, 5 Mar 2012 16:33:32 GMTMon, 5 Mar 2012 16:33:32 GMThttp://www.catranslation.org/blogpost/the-first-flights-of-birdsMon, 5 Mar 2012 16:33:32 GMTMon, 5 Mar 2012 16:33:32 GMThttp://www.catranslation.org/blogpost/the-fresh-water-tappyMon, 5 Mar 2012 16:33:32 GMTMon, 5 Mar 2012 16:33:32 GMT