Owl à la Mizrahi
Here’s what’s coming up in Translationland NYC for early November:
Saturday, Nov. 1:
A Thousand Forests in One Acorn: Valerie Miles, Eliot Weinberger and Juan José Herrera de la Muela, all translators as well as writers, editors and (in the latter case) diplomat, join to celebrate the publication of this anthology of Spanish-language writing just out from Open Letter. McNally Jackson Books, 52 Prince St., 6:00 p.m.
Wednesday, Nov. 5:
Translator-author Assaf Gavron appears with fellow authors Etgar Keret, Gina Nahai and Salar Abdoh to celebrate the publication by Akashic Books of a pair of moody short-fiction anthologies, Tehran Noir and Tel Aviv Noir. Moderated by Rick Moody. The event would have been even cooler if it had involved the translators of the anthologies as well, but at least one of them (Yardenne Greenspan, translator of Tel Aviv Noir) has written an essay about it. Live from the NYPL (yes, you have to buy a ticket to attend), 42nd St. Library (42nd St. entrance), 7:00 p.m.
Also Wednesday, Nov. 5 (yes, you have to choose):
Translationista will take the stage with Isaac Mizrahi to discuss their recent backstage collaboration on a new production of Mozart’s opera The Magic Flute for the Opera Theatre of St. Louis. There’ll be show and tell, stories of rehearsal mishaps and translation tidbits, moderated by Anne Bogart. Buell Hall (Maison Française), Columbia University, free, but advance reservations strongly recommended, more information here. 6:30 p.m.
Monday, Nov. 10:
Tahrir Plays and Performance Texts: Politics, Aesthetics, Translation: A staged reading of “They Say Dancing is a Sin” (about women in Egypt and their role in the Arab Spring) from the forthcoming anthology Tahrir Plays and Performance Texts from the Egyptian Revolution (Seagull Books), followed by a discussion with series editor Carol Martin and the co-editors and translators of the volume, Mohammed Albakry and Rebekah Maggor. This is a co-presentation by Barnard’s Theater Department and Center for Translation Studies. More information here. Glicker-Milstein Theatre, The Diana Center, Room LL200 on the Barnard campus (enter at Broadway and 117th St.), 6:30 p.m.
Thursday, Nov. 13:
The great poet-translator Richard Howard (who’s translated so many important books from the French you could build a tiny house out of them) will be appearing for an evening billed as “A Retrospective Reading” apropos of his new book of poems, A Progressive Education, but I’m hopeful that he’ll read some translations as well as his own poems written originally in English. Columbia University, Italian Academy, 1161 Amsterdam Ave (between 116 and 118th St.), RSVP requested, more information here. 7:00 p.m.
Also Thursday, Nov. 13 (yes, you have to choose):
The Drowned Blackbird: Paul Muldoon on Translating Gaelic Poetry. The Pulitzer-Prize-winning poet and translator will be talking, no doubt, about this lovely little book of his in this 10th biennial Stanley Burnshaw Lecture (more information here), held in the William P. Kelly Skylight Room (Rm. 9100) at the CUNY Graduate Center, 365 Fifth Ave., 7:00 p.m.