Translation as Treason — Michael Dylan Welch on Translating Haiku

May GLLI Blog Series:  Japan in Translation, No. 11 Photo credit:  Greenhouse Fabrics In The Book of Tea, Kakuzo Okakura wrote that “Translation is always a treason, and as a Ming author observes, can at its best be only the reverse side of a brocade.” And so it seems to be—the art of translation is … Continue reading Translation as Treason — Michael Dylan Welch on Translating Haiku

Publisher Spotlight: Lavender Ink + Diálogos

  When I think of Lavender Ink, I immediately think of two things: poetry and New Orleans. Since its inception, Lavender Ink has been a supporter of poets in and around the Big Easy. In fact, the press co-created (and continues to co-host) the New Orleans Poetry Festival and Small Press Fair, an international poetry … Continue reading Publisher Spotlight: Lavender Ink + Diálogos

Excerpt from Eto Mori’s DIVE!!

May GLLI Blog Series:  Japan in Translation, No. 9 Editor's note:  It's mind-blowing how instantly global we've become.  A little more than a week ago UK blogger Zoe Toft (Playing by the Book) posted an interview with translator Avery Fischer Udagawa, who is the contributor of today's post.  Avery, by the way, lives in Bangkok, … Continue reading Excerpt from Eto Mori’s DIVE!!

Translator Roundtable on Shiba Ryōtarō’s Ryōma!, part 1

May GLLI Blog Series:  Japan in Translation, No. 6 (part 1) Phyllis Birnbaum: I am very happy to announce the publication of Volume I of Ryōma! The Life of Sakamoto Ryōma:  Japanese Swordsman and Visionary. This is the first English translation of Shiba Ryōtarō’s legendary best-seller Ryōma ga yuku, which has sold more than 24 … Continue reading Translator Roundtable on Shiba Ryōtarō’s Ryōma!, part 1

Mishima’s Mischief — Eve Kushner on Kanji and Translation, part 2

May GLLI Blog Series:  Japan in Translation, No. 5 (part 2) For part 1 in this two-part piece, see May 4:  Eve Kushner on kanji’s punning potential (Japan-in-Translation, No. 4) Mishima's Mischief Japanese writers choose whether to render terms in kanji (also known as Chinese characters because they came from China), or in its two phonetic … Continue reading Mishima’s Mischief — Eve Kushner on Kanji and Translation, part 2

Publisher Spotlight: Glagoslav Publications

  Are you ready to explore the genre-rich world of Glagoslav Publications? (And when I say genre-rich, I truly mean it. This publisher of Slavic literature boasts an abundance of specialities, including sci-fi, plays, detective stories, poetry, and historical thrillers. Don’t get me started on their expansive nonfiction catalog.) Based in both the Netherlands and the … Continue reading Publisher Spotlight: Glagoslav Publications

PUN POTENTIAL — Eve Kushner on Kanji and Translation, part 1

May GLLI Blog Series:  Japan in Translation, No. 4 (part 1) With my project Joy o' Kanji, I'm writing one essay about each of the 2,136 Joyo kanji, the characters the Japanese use in daily life. In the essays I explore all facets of a kanji, including its readings, the evolution of its shape and … Continue reading PUN POTENTIAL — Eve Kushner on Kanji and Translation, part 1

OUTSIDER STORIES IN CONTEMPORARY JAPANESE FICTION — by Kathryn Hemmann

May GLLI Blog Series:  Japan in Translation, No. 2 Editor's note:  Even in 2018, many conversations about Japan begin by mentioning the nation's homogeneity before going on to discuss a group or individual who appears to be an exception. Japan is filled with such “exceptions,” however, and even the tiny percentage of Japanese fiction published … Continue reading OUTSIDER STORIES IN CONTEMPORARY JAPANESE FICTION — by Kathryn Hemmann

Publisher Spotlight: The American University in Cairo Press + Hoopoe

  This week’s Publisher Spotlight is all about the “leading English-language publisher in Egypt and the Middle East”—The American University in Cairo Press. AUC Press is a predominantly academic publisher that offers titles in twelve main categories, which include ancient Egypt, Islam and Coptic Studies, Middle Eastern art, and Arabic language learning, among other genres. … Continue reading Publisher Spotlight: The American University in Cairo Press + Hoopoe

Choctaw Culture Graces Every Page of Picture Book About an Artist in the Making

      When you know that every day some 86,000 people go online to study the Choctaw language, it makes it a little easier to understand why one of the best things about Sherri Maret’s new picture book The Cloud Artist may be that it can be read in both English and Choctaw. In … Continue reading Choctaw Culture Graces Every Page of Picture Book About an Artist in the Making