“There are so many ways to look at translation. One that has recently occurred to me is that of a tether: the translator is tethered to the meaning of the original the way an animal can be tethered to a stake. You can’t take off and roam the hills, but you can definitely move around and experience a comfortable degree of freedom.” Asymptote talks with Juliet Winters Carpenter about Japanese tanka poetry, Machi Tawara‘s Salad Anniversary, and the careful balance of translation.
Translating on a Tether
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Maya Angelou’s Forever
"A bird doesn't sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song." Maya Angelou now has her own Forever stamp.
Hard Choices
Recommended Listening: David Sedaris presented three short stories while guest hosting WNYC’s Selected Shorts. The three stories were written by Amy Hempel, Tobias Wolff, and Frank Gannon, and each one has to do with “hard choices,” says Sedaris.
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Multi-Tasking
"When you want to read a long book, for reasons of weight a paperback must do, and you’ll just have to suck it up re: its inevitably smaller print and wind-catchingly thinner pages." Here's a handy guide to reading while you walk from the good people over at The Awl.
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Poetry Haters
Ben Lerner and Cody Delistraty discuss why so many people (rightfully) hate poetry. Pair with this Millions piece on poetry for people who hate poetry.
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The Mingle, Part III
Mark your calendars, New Yorkers. The third installment of Ryan Chapman and Jason Diamond’s inimitable networking shindigs will take place on Thursday, July 25th at the Tribeca Grand Hotel. Come for the craic and the free booze, but stay for the balloons.
Time Magazine Goes Soft
Last week, a lot of people were disappointed by Time's decision to "water down" the latest issue's cover for its American audience. As a follow-up, ShortFormBlog takes a look at the publication's history of doing this, and also their reasoning.
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