I’m taking a moment to wish you all a happy, healthy new year – despite all. May you find peace in the company of loved ones and within yourself.
I’m currently in Italy, spending the holidays with family and friends. I have been resting a bit. Of course, holidays involves a fair amount of eating. I haven’t been able to work much, although my workaholic spirit tries to push me at all times. I’m proving to be unsuccessful at honouring such resolutions. On the other hand, I’m getting very good at procrastination.
To be fair, I stretched myself thin over the last few months. Fully dedicating myself to translation work – not only translating fiction, but also studying to be a better professional, hunting for jobs and sending applications (which is a job in itself), while getting on with life. Phew! No wonder my body and mind are rejecting any serious task at the moment.
The payoff – I’m happy to be at work on a collection of short stories from 1894, from author Kate Chopin, called Bayou Folk. Kate Chopin (1850–1904) was an American writer best known for her stories about the inner lives of sensitive, daring women. Translating them into Italian is quite a challenge – a good one I must say. The writing is of course distant from modern English. It’s more of a hybrid between the English language as we know it, with the odd archaic twist, and Black English from Louisiana. It involves a lot of research, a lot of meddling with language registers, adaptation, cultural mediation. Apparently, this particular collection of stories was never translated nor published in Italy. I look forward to having the final publication in my hands.
Right now, the sky is darkening and I’m feeling a bit lethargic. I guess I will be indulging in some more festive chocolate treats, and get cozy with a movie, some of my favourite music, a good reading perhaps.
Be well.
Marco Machera 