Rachel May – författare

What does it mean to read one nation's literature in another language? The considerable popularity of Russian literature in the English-speaking world rests almost entirely upon translations: the many competing versions of major works, and the continuing publication of new and revised translations, suggest the inherently complex interplay between language and literature. In ""The Translator in the Text"", Rachel May analyzes Russian literature in English translation, treating it less as a substitute for the original works than as a special subset of English literature, with its own cultural, stylistic, and narrative traditions. Using a blend of translation criticism, close reading, and linguistic analysis, the author explores the translator's role as mediator between cultures and among the voices within literary texts. By observing historical trends in translation styles, May shows how translators have tended to mirror and strengthen contemporary attitudes toward Russia and how swings in political relations have affected the texture of Russian literature as it appears to the anglophone public. Focusing on specific stylistic effects and their treatment in translation, the author also demonstrates regular, repeated alterations of linguistic structures which have a profound impact on the way we read Russian literature in English. May's argument is supplemented with dozens of comparative analyses of Russian passages and their English translations, which provide model close readings, focusing on the thematic implications of stylized language. Two appended essays address specific problems in the teaching of Russian literature in English. And an extensive bibliography lists many alternative translations of important literary works as well as a wealth of theoretical studies of translation. More than a simple critique of existing translations, ""The Translator in the Text"" offers a new paradigm for translation criticism as a pedagogical tool.

As a younger generation discovered sewing and traditional quilting, they yearned for a less restrictive way to express their creativity in fabric. By experimenting with the use of colour, asymmetrical blocks, fabric, and improvisational sewing techniques, their quilts took on a new aesthetic and the Modern Quilting movement was born. In Quilting with a Modern Slant, Rachel May shares the stories and work of 80 renowned modern quilters, as well as the techniques and patterns that serve as the foundation of the craft. With step-by-step tutorials to guide newer quilters, this book offers first-hand guidance on the quilting process and experience.

Rachel May’s rich new book explores the far reach of slavery, from New England to the Caribbean, the role it played in the growth of mercantile America, and the bonds between the agrarian south and the industrial north in the antebellum era—all through the discovery of a remarkable quilt. While studying objects in a textile collection, May opened a veritable treasure-trove: a carefully folded, unfinished quilt made of 1830sera fabrics, its backing containing fragile, aged papers with the dates 1798, 1808, and 1813, the words “shuger,” “rum,” “casks,” and “West Indies,” repeated over and over, along with “friendship,” “kindness,” “government,” and “incident.” The quilt top sent her on a journey to piece together the story of Minerva, Eliza, Jane, and Juba—the enslaved women behind the quilt—and their owner, Susan Crouch. May brilliantly stitches together the often-silenced legacy of slavery by revealing the lives of these urban enslaved women and their world. Beautifully written and richly imagined, An American Quilt is a luminous historical examination and an appreciation of a craft that provides such a tactile connection to the past.