May GLLI Blog Series: Japan in Translation, No. 14 Editor's note: When I approached Canadian poet/translator Sally Ito about acting as translator for Are You an Echo? The Lost Poetry of Misuzu Kaneko, she and her aunt Michiko Tsuboi, her co-translator, had already translated at least a dozen of Misuzu's poems on their own. The … Continue reading The Compassionate Imagination – Sally Ito on Translating Misuzu Kaneko
May GLLI Blog Series: Japan in Translation, No. 13 Editor's note: Today begins the second installment of Smithsonian BookDragon Terry Hong's current favorites in Japanese translated fiction. It's interesting though perhaps coincidental to note that five of Terry's nine recommendations were written by women, and seven of the nine were translated by women. I point … Continue reading Anglophoned Fiction Favorites — by Smithsonian BookDragon Terry Hong, part 2
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
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
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!!
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
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
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
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
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
