Instructor: Machado W 5:00 PM – 7:50 PM
“The Poetics of Translators and Transnationals”
This “Topics in Poetics”-style seminar interests itself in the work of (1) literary translation; (2) translators who also compose their “own” poetry (whatever that means); and (3) transnational+transgressive circulations of text. We’ll begin with an introduction to translation theory; move into a study of a few practitioners’ translation projects in relation to their poetry; and end with a focused exploration of participants’ own investments in the course’s purview. Related topics might include multilingual writing and what’s variously termed as experimental or unconventional translation. Participants are not required to enter the course with prior experience translating nor even a language other than English (that said, learning new languages is highly encouraged, even rudimentarily), but experience reading poetry at an advanced level is imperative. [Image credit: Nick Cave, Soundsuits and Beaded Cliff Wall]