Herald Staff Report
The staff of the North Dakota Quarterly, a literary journal published four times a year by UND College of Arts and Sciences, is calling its latest issues "around the world in 200 pages."
The North Dakota Quarterly Fall 2008 edition, The Translation Issue, available now, includes new work from two former poet laureates and translations of literary work from the Incan Empire to modern Romania and numerous other sources and languages.
NDQ wanted to provide English readers with a substantial sampling of the literary styles and subject matters of other cultures and to show the artistry and challenges of translating literature, a news release said.
In genre and language, The Translation Issue contains plays, poetry, fiction and nonfiction. Original languages include Greek, Danish, Polish, Romanian, German, Portuguese, French and Spanish from different cultures and times.
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Featured are such writers as Richard Wilbur, former U.S. Poet Laureate (1987-1988) and winner of two Pulitzer Prizes, who specializes in translation of 17th century French literature. William Jay Smith, the poetry consultant to the Library of Congress (1968-1970, now titled the U.S. Poet Laureate) has won translation awards from both the French and Swedish Academies.
Other celebrated contributors include Robert Bagg, a poet, literary critic and novelist who is renowned for his translations of Greek drama, especially those of Euripides and Sophocles. Also translated from the Greek is a preview of selections from the upcoming book "The Last Word" by Michael Wolfe, a well-known poet and author of Islamic-themed literature.
The North Dakota Quarterly has been the liberal arts and sciences journal of UND since 1911. Edited by Robert Lewis and assisted by staff and faculty at UND and elsewhere, NDQ publishes poetry, fiction, literary criticism and book reviews from local, regional and international contributors.
Individual issues are $12 plus postage. Subscription rates per year are $25 for individuals, $20 for gifts, students and seniors and $30 for institutions. Please contact NDQ at ndq@und.edu or phone (701) 777-3332.
