This interview appears in TSAR Volume 8, Number 1 CM (continued from page one): I translate from Spanish to English, so I’ll focus on that. The top of my list of Spanish translators would have to include Margaret Sayers Peden, Gregory Rabassa, Edith Grossman, Cola Franzen, Amanda Powell, Harry Morales, and Geoff Hargreaves. But that’s a very incomplete list. There are so many. I especially admire those who make the effort to find quality original work and then to secure publication for that work. That can be quite a task. TSAR: What translations stand in your mind as definitive? CM: I don’t think any translation is definitive. TSAR: Tell us about the new Tameme chapbooks. CM: Tameme began as a literary journal—a 225 page anthology, really—and it turned out to be more work and expense than I—and the foundation—could sustain. The Tameme chapbooks are the same format as the journal was—English/ Spanish side-by-side—but instead of featuring, say, some twenty-five writers and another twenty-five translators, each chapbook has work by one writer and one translator. So they are infinitely easier to edit and produce, substantially less expensive, and (we hope), more appealing for readers as well. TSAR: Who is your target audience? CM: It’s hard to say. I think of the chapbooks as works of art, not a “product.” We want to sell them, certainly, but Tameme’s is not, in the end, a wholly commercial enterprise. Who enjoys a work of art? It could be the janitor. It could be the world’s expert on beekeeping. God knows. That said, I have found that Spanish speakers and translators tend to be the most enthusiastic about Tameme’s publications. A few people find the side-by-side format intimidating—while others find it welcoming, and use it to help them improve their Spanish (or English). I’d be delighted to see more of our chapbooks in the classroom. TSAR: How do you choose what to publish? CM: It varies. In some instances, I knew exactly what I wanted, in others, I relied on both solicited and unsolicited submissions. For example, the first chapbook, a splendid short story by Mexican writer Agustin Cadena, I had already translated the work, thinking to include it in my anthology, Mexico: A Traveler’s Literary Companion. For that, I ended up using a different story by Cadena, and so I had this wonderful piece just waiting for a home. It was meant to be. For the second chapbook, I sent out a massive call for submissions (flyers, internet announcements, etc.) for a Mexican story or collection of poems that was already translated. I had several outstanding manuscripts to choose from—and in the end, selected John Oliver Simon’s translations of nine poems by Jorge Fernández Granados (Los fantasmas del Palacio de los Azulejos / Ghosts of the Palace of Blue Tiles). For the journal, there were many translations that were commissioned, both into English and into Spanish, and I hope to do the same with the chapbooks. TSAR: You’ve chosen to edit a journal and chapbooks of translations in two languages in which you’re fluent. What advice do you have for the editor faced with translations from languages he or she may not speak or read? CM: Consult someone who is not only a native speaker, but an accomplished writer or poet. Just because someone speaks a language, that certainly does not mean they are capable of evaluating the quality of a work of literature, or that of a literary translation. TSAR: What advice do you have for the translator starting out, or, for that matter, the editor in search of fine translations? CM: I assume we’re talking about literary translation. For anyone starting out, I strongly recommend joining the American Literary Translators Association (ALTA) and, if possible, attending their annual conference. It is so helpful to join a community and so have access to advice from more experienced translators. For an editor, the number one best way to find quality translations is to send a call for a submissions to that same association. I can tell you from experience, there are many very fine translations out there looking for a home. The ALTA webite is http://www.utdallas.edu/alta/. TSAR: What challenges do you foresee for print publishing?
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