Lisa Carter's Intralingo Blog

I'm very honored to be the featured translator today over at Lisa Carter's excellent blog, Intralingo. In the interview I talk about getting started with literary translation, translating Mexican writers Agustín Cadena and Mónica Lavín, and tackling Francisco I. Madero's secret book of 1911.

Thank you, dear Lisa.

Translation on NPR

Via Boston Translation blog, NPR's Rick Kleffel on "The Art of Translation". Emphasis on "art."

P.S. Here's my own interview on NPR about Mexico: A Traveler's Literary Companion, my anthology of 24 Mexican writers. On the NPR website you can read the excellent short stories by Araceli Ardon and Monica Lavin, and Ricardo Elizondo Elizondo. Makes a not only very enjoyable but very affordable--- and portable--- holiday gift, hint hint. Buy it here. More anon.

New World / New Words: Monica Lavin

This Saturday at the annual American Literary Translators Association Conference near Dallas, Texas, I'll be reading from my translation of a short story by a wonderful Mexican writer, Monica Lavin, for the launch of the new anthology edited by Thomas Christensen (with a forward by Gregory Rabassa), New World / New Words, the first anthology in a series published by Two Lines. (This story, "Day and Night" was first published in my anthology of 24 Mexican writers, Mexico: A Traveler's Literary Companion.)

New York City and Washington DC

I'm presenting Mexico: A Traveler's Literary Companion with Mexican writers Monica Lavin, Pedro Angelo Palou and translators Harry Morales and Daniel Shapiro on Sept 12th at New York University. Then on Sept 17th I'm giving a talk on this same book, and also my travel memoir, Miraculous Air: Journey of a Thousand Miles through Baja California, the Other Mexico, at the Wilson Center's Mexico Institute. Both events are free and open to the public. For more info, visit my events page. Back blogging after the 18th.

On Sept 12 @ 6 pm New York

I'll be presenting Mexico: A Traveler's Literary Companion with Mexican writers Monica Lavin, Pedro Angel Palou, and translators Harry Morales and Daniel Shapiro at NYU's King Juan Carlos I of Spain Center (53 Washington Square S). More info about the event on my webpage and also here. Co-presented with the Mexican Cultural Institute of New York with the support of Dos Equis. Free admission.

New York City's Mexican Cultural Institute & New York University's King Juan Carlos of Spain Center--- September 12th

Save the date! This September 12th, as part of the Celebrate Mexico Now Festival, the Mexican Cultural Institute of New York and NYU's King Juan Carlos I of Spain Center will host the presentation of my anthology of Mexican fiction and literary prose, Mexico: A Traveler's Literary Companion. I am delighted that, accompanying me will be some of the translators--- Harry Morales and Daniel Shapiro--- as well as Mexican writers Monica Lavin and Pedro Angel Palou. Click here for the info about the event, which is free and open to the public, so if you're in town, consider yourself invited! And click here to hear my interview with John Ydsie of National Public Radio about the book and to read some stories--- including Monica Lavin's stunningly good short story, "Day and Night." More anon.

PEN Writers in the Schools

This morning I was a "PEN writer in the schools"--- visiting Mr Igoudjil's highschool humanities class at Washington DC's School Without Walls for a discussion of my collection of Mexican fiction and literary prose, Mexico: A Traveler's Literary Companion. In recent years, I've done several of these school visits, both for this anthology and my book of stories, Sky Over El Nido. It's a terrific program and the kids are always--- and especially this morning--- so bright and interested. This time however, there was something entirely new. Before my visit, Mr Igoudjil's class posted their comments about Mexico: A Traveler's Literary Companion on his blog--- to date, 53 comments, on everything from Monica Lavin's "Day and Night" to Juan Villoro's "One-Way Street" to Daniel Reveles's "Big Caca's Revenge." To read the comments, click here. The last PEN witer to visit Mr Igoudjil's class was Tim Wendel, and the next up is Marie Arana. More anon.