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What I’m Reading (February)
La Siberia, Cristina Siscar (a novella–that of the title–and stories). I found this collection in my search to read more about Patagonia. These are stories about travelers in Patagonia, Amsterdam, Valparaiso, locals and foreigners adrift or stranded, sometimes physically, sometimes in memory. There are some wonderful translation moments embedded in the stories, and rich, perplexing…
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What I’m reading (January)
La Virgen Cabeza, by Gabriela Cabezón Cámara (what a great name, no?). One of the writers who leapt to mind for her when I asked Angélica Gorodsicher last October, “who else should I read?” A striking, unexpected voice, just enough left unexplained, left for the reader to assemble. Fast moving, abrasive yet sympathetic. And having…
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Your Vacation Starts Here
It’s raining today–sure sign of fall–but this was one of my favorite signs this summer: Read the sign’s two parts together, you might think the job’s so great, it’s practically a vacation. Or squint your eyes and read only one or the other. After all, a great vacation doesn’t exactly start with an understaffed hotel.…
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Spotlight on Intralingo (& other summer inspirations)
Translator Lisa Carter has been running a series of Translator Spotlights on her blog, Intralingo. Today, I’m the lucky guest. I hope you’ll visit (http://intralingo.com/?p=2938)–and have a look at some of the other translators who’ve been spotlighted as well! I’ve benefitted from Lisa’s collegiality and goodwill off line, too, so I’ll take this opportunity to…
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More remote, named places
Punta Delgada, Península Valdés I’ve been back in Oregon for a month and a half now, more or less (the precise day count seems unimportant) and, as usually happens with completed travel, the time away and the places visited–and, sadly, the people–seem increasingly remote, a little unreal, my own personal fairytale, once upon a time…
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Argentina Count-Down (part 1)
I picked up a 6-week, inter-library loan on campus the other day, and the return date was none other than my departure date for Argentina. Aack! I’ve got as many to-do lists as a woman could wish for, but checking things off the lists is proving harder. So the packing/planning/copying/reserving/panicking begins in earnest. I spent…
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Travel Journal (Peru, 1987)
Today, for the second time this week, I saw a hummingbird perched on one of the spindly maples by the jogging trail. They haven’t graced the white-flowering currants in my yard this spring the way they have in past years, so perhaps they’ve moved. The currants are nearly done blooming by now. Maybe it’s just…