27 Comments
author

Thank you. Yes, it was fun to go back to translation, which I hadn't done in a while. I hope you enjoy reading Cortázar. One of the masters of short fiction, for me.

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author

Thank you, Nicola. You're very kind. With wonderful readers like you here, I'll stick around for a while 🙂.

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Vehicles as 'vehicles' for reflection? Yes, it worked for me. Particularly enjoyed reading your reflections. Definitely belong here so don't head off for a different destination 😊

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How enjoyable to translate the work yourself! Thanks for introducing me to this author as well.

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I have never experienced a story in such a compelling manner. Thank you, Jeffrey.

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author

Thank you, Sue! I really appreciate your kind feedback.

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Oct 6, 2023Liked by Jeffrey Streeter

Quite. Read this straight through, love it - the format works beautifully, I hope you will do again with other pieces? Maybe some poetry? I always like a good guide through poetry. :)

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author

Thank you! that's very kind. I actually do have a poem (English language) in mind to do this kind of thing with. At one point, I was going to combine it with this story, but it got too much. So thanks for the nudge, I will have a crack at that.

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Oct 6, 2023Liked by Jeffrey Streeter

Lovely start to my Thursday

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author

Thank you Lee! ❤️

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Oct 6, 2023Liked by Jeffrey Streeter

Fabulous read Jeff. I enjoyed so much. I don’t read, write, or speak another language so I appreciate the time you took to translate the passages. I especially appreciate how you structured this essay giving insight and personal reflection to the passages. It made to connect to my feelings about my trips abroad and the oh-so-many hiccups, mishaps, and strangers-made-friends I’ve encountered along the way. I’m your reader. Bravo.

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author

That is so kind of you, Maureen. I felt I was taking a risk in publishing this piece, as it's quite unusual, so I am delighted to find you as a supportive reader! That's why I came to Substack - to develop my writing and find readers. Thank you again!

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Oct 6, 2023Liked by Jeffrey Streeter

Risk-taking rewards itself in spades.

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Oct 6, 2023Liked by Jeffrey Streeter

Absolutely loved this, bravo indeed!

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author

Thank you, I really appreciate your feedback.

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The literary translator occupies such unknown terrain, I sometimes wonder if they really exist. It isn't inside baseball. Anyone can try it. (You end up earning as much as some poets). Almost nobody does. But nobody is more crucial for seeing a writer into wider readership. Part of the difficulty is that doing translation obviosuly stirs the same circuits as the writing itself. You have to be a decent writer to translate successfully. And the best way to learn it is to translate someone already well-translated Cortázar and then compare your solutions. Streeter is all show here, no tell. Most valuable.

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author

Thank you for your comment. I agree on the need for literary translation. I feel a huge debt to the translators of people like Pamuk, Ogawa, and Calvino, to name just three, for making the work of these great writers accessible to me. As for me, I'm just an apprentice.

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Oct 18Liked by Jeffrey Streeter

Wow, what a fabulous journey you just took me on. Weaving between Cortazar’s words, your translation, interpretation and personal notes made me feel as if I, too, were wheeled on a 6 lane highway. Section 9 really struck a note, the ordinary traffic jam of life peppered with consequential or even monumental moments, while the whole is nothing more. Such longing in Cortazar’s words. This story could be a metaphor for the isolation humanity experiences through the internet. A web of interconnectivity made up of numbers, algorithms and ratings, not humans.

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author

Thank you, Kimberly. You've added to my enjoyment of that story with your interpretation. He's a very special writer and I hope you will enjoy reading more. His very short story “Continuity of Parks” is online in translation. And I think you'd love his “Casa tomada” (lit. “House taken over”) from 1946. I think I feel a Poe influence in it and I believe Borges admired it.

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Oct 18Liked by Jeffrey Streeter

Brilliant! Thanks for the recs Jeffrey!

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Hola , Muy Buen Artículo. Para Mí Cortazar Es Uno De Los Grandes Escritores Argentinos Del Siglo XX. Sabes Qué Su Biblioteca Personal Está En Madrid En La Fundación Juan March.Te Pasó El Enlace. Un Saludo.

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author

Great to meet another fan of Cortázar! I hadn't re-read him for a while, so this little project seemed like a great chance to read one of his stories with the care and attention they deserve. What's your favourite story of his?

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author

Wow, thank you so much for your very kind words, Arlene; they leave me rather humbled. I am here to develop my writing and so it's encouraging to find support from readers on the platform. I really appreciate it!

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Wow, I love Cortázar. Thank you for sharing his work with your beautiful translations and opinions. I’m a native Spanish speaker and have enjoyed reading it (and checking the translations, hahaha) while remembering this short story I read many years ago.

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I have just recently found your writing but you possess a gripping ability to convey deep emotion, intellectual passion, and respect for the world's cultures and languages all in one. It's inspiring and aspirational. Thank you for sharing!

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