The MFA Program in Literary Translation at Queens College

Putting together the introduction for Susan Bernofsky is kind of intense . . . She’s accomplished so much and has so many things going on, including her involvement with the MFA program in Literary Translation at Queens College—a unique translation program that some of you (potential students? others?) might be interested in.

The program has only been around for four years, but with Susan and Roger Sederat teaching there, it’s a pretty impressive beginning. And a very cool program that’s rooted in the creative aspect to translating.

Here’s a page listing all the requirements, where you can also find the Required Reading list. I’m a total nerd for syllabi and book lists from professors and others, so to indulge my inner dork, here’s the list of required books related to translation (some of which I know, most of which I’d like to read at some point when time stops and I can finally get to ALL of the books I want to get to):

William Arrowsmith & Roger Shattuck, The Craft, and Context of Translation

Mona Baker, In Other Words: A Course Book on Translation

John Felstiner, Translating Neruda: The Way to Macchu Picchu

David Halpern, Dante’s Inferno: Translations by Twenty Contemporary Poets

Edwin Honig, The Poet’s Other Voice: Conversations on Literary Translation

Donald Keene, Japanese Literature: An Introduction for Western readers

Clifford E. Landers, Literary Translation, A Practical Guide

Peter H. Lee, The Silence of Love: Twentieth-Century Korean Poetry

Andre Lefevere and Susan Bassnett, Translation, History, and Culture

James J.U. Liu, The Art of Chinese Poetry

Earl Miner, Japanese Poetic Diaries

Ivan Morris, The Pillow Book of Sei Shonagon

Manuela Perteghella and Eugenia Loffredo, Translation and Creativity: Perspectives on Creative Writing and Translation Studies

Gregory Rabassa, The World of Translation, PEN American Center
—- If This Be Treason: Translation and Its Discontents (A Memoir)

Douglas Robinson, Becoming a Translator: An Introduction to the Theory and Practice of Translation

Hiroaki Sato, String of Beads: Complete Poems of Princess Shikishi

Rainer Schulte and Biguenet, The Craft of Translation
—- Theories of Translation: An Anthology of Essays from Dryden to Derrida

Edward G.Seidensticker, Genji Days

George Steiner, After Babel: Aspects of Language and Translation

Leslie Marmon Silko, Yellow Woman and the Beauty of the Spirit

Issues of Translation Review and Circumference: a bi-annual journal of poetry translation

Anyway. For those of you looking for a translation program in New York, this is another interesting option. (And of course, there’s always our M.A. program here at the University of Rochester . . . But we have a bit of a different focus. And the more the better when it comes to literary translation programs and training young translators. Go Queens for starting something innovative and necessary!)