Join us for an engaging talk with Jenna Tang, a Taiwanese writer, educator, and translator, as she explores the world of translation, gender movements, and the art of literary adaptation. With experience in Mandarin, Spanish, French, and English, Jenna will share her journey of translating works that delve into emotional landscapes, identity, and the body.
Time: Wednesday, Feb 19, 6:30-8 pm
Location:Performance Cafe
Event Description: What does it mean to explore our languages and writing through translated literature? What is involved in the process of establishing ourselves as translators? Over the years, the languages I speak—which includes Mandarin, English, Spanish, French, and more, have taken me around to live across countries in Asia, Latin America, Europe, and more. What is it like to work as a writer and translator while traveling and working across cultures?
Part of the most interesting and significant process of being a translator involves translating writings that engage in feminism and gender movements. Sometimes stories are told through strange and surreal narratives, other times through streams of consciousness, and many more. What do we consider when translating narratives that involve descriptions about body, emotional landscape, and desire? How can elements of translation address emotional contradictions, vulnerabilities, the search for belonging, and how do we position and connect these writings with literature from other parts of the world?
Besides the talk, we’ll be referencing and introducing a list of literary works that have established themselves in regards to gender topics and movements in the English-speaking world for participants’ interests.
Speaker’s Bio : Jenna Tang is a Taiwanese writer, educator, and translator who translates between Mandarin Chinese, Spanish, French, and English. She is a board member and chair of the Equity Advocates Committee at the American Literary Translators Association. Her translations and essays are published in McSweeney’s, Lit Hub, The Paris Review, Latin American Literature Today, World Literature Today, Catapult, AAWW, Words Without Borders, and elsewhere. Her translations include Taiwanese feminist author most iconic #MeToo movement title, Lin Yi-Han’s novel, Fang Si-Chi’s First Love Paradise and she has given talks about translation, languages, and gender movements across 16 universities in the States and Canada.
Don’t miss this insightful conversation on the complexities of translation and its connection to feminism and gender movements.
