*Finally* reaching the finish line on that arbitration piece for paid subscribers, + anti-memoir for Patreon, after which I'll get cracking on "cheery" stuff from the world of migration & mobility rights.
But in between I'd like to post a palate cleanser. Something from the world of cinema/TV? Colombia? Literature? Anything resembling hopeful news? 🤔
My OnlySky pieces this week will be on the climate crisis and SCOTUS, so... really, something lighter in the mix can't hurt! 🙃
Any preferences?
You know if I get a vote, I'll vote literature. You know it. 😁
There's a Colombian book that was translated into English last year, by Marvel Moreno, detailing the challenges of women in Barranquilla (a rural-industrial slice of the country) in the 1950s and 60s, that was an absolute powerhouse of a look at how women and men alike reinforced a toxic gender status quo... and the struggle to retain one's humanity amid such domestic strife.
I'll probably write about other lit first, but this might be of interest to you if you see it around!
The Time of the Amazon? Just read a bit about her. Definitely intrigued.
Ah, forgot the title!
Partially, because I hate the English title: December Breeze. It sounds like an air freshener.
But the translator knew her well, so everything else suggests it was a labour of love. I attribute the lousy title to the publishing industry.
In Spanish, it's "En diciembre llegaban las brisas", and I would've translated it "In December come the winds", to match the lyricism of the text.
I'll do a full review before year's end, tying in some cultural context!
😂 I don't like the translation of the title either. In December the Breezes Came would have also been better. I don't speak Spanish, but I studied translation and I know how frustrating it can be when the translator decides to move too far away from the original in order to prioritize what they consider to sound most natural in the target language.
I look forward to the review when it appears.
Oh! We need to talk shop sometime! 🤩 Translation is so tricky, isn't it?
Here, we're talking about the winds of time (the narrator reflecting on the past in her "December" of life) & "wind" and "breeze" vary in cultural significance: a bit like trying to translate a Chinook.
This translator is Spanish-native, 2nd-lang English. I *do* feel it's better for the translator to be a native in the output language to convey the original poetry, but a labour of love can overcome many hurdles.
I'm so sleepy tonight I has barely type, but yes, let's go back to translation some day. I've always thought it's better that the translator be a native speaker of the target language -- in most cases. But the most important qualification is being a strong writer in at least one of the two.
I'm a serial re-reader, so I'm currently re-reading The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy, which I bet you know very well. I was dusting the shelves and I just had to take it down!
I've been rereading Iris Murdoch books as of late, so I resonate with the joys of a good return. :)
Sleep well, beautiful human! ❤️ There will be days enough ahead to talk about all things lit and translation. So glad we've crossed paths here at all. 🤗
Oh gosh, I feel the same way. Sweet - not spooky - dreams!
@LiseL
And now that I've gushed on my side, what's on YOUR to-read list? What have you lately loved and what are you eyeing next? 👀