SUNY series, Women Writers in Translation – serie

This is the first translation of this work into English since 1776, and the only English version that is complete and unadulterated.Sophie von LaRoche is credited with being the first German female novelist and author of the first German "woman's novel." The History of Lady Sophia Sternheim is the first German Bildungsroman with a female protaganist, the first full-fledged German epistolary novel, and the first German sentimental novel. Its autobiographical aspects, incorporating thinly disguised vignettes of Wieland, Goethe, and other great figures of the day, give the work an unmistakably true-to-life flavor and immediacy.

Published in 1647, these ten tales are among the earliest narratives in Western literature to focus on women's experiences and points of view in love relationships.The Disenchantments of Love, published in Spain in 1647 by María de Zayas, is a stunning collection of stories about women's amorous experiences in a patriarchal and imperialistic society during the turbulent seventeenth century. Now available for the first time in English translation, the ten examplary novellas are set within an encompassing frame story that continues from the first collection, The Enchantments of Love: Amorous and Exemplary Novels, published in 1637. Both collections of love stories were immediately popular because of the novelty of their plots and the gender of their author.What is new in the disenchantments is the deliberately feminist purpose stated in the rules for telling stories: only women are to narrate "true cases intended to disenchant women about men's deceptions," pointedly denying men the opportunity to dominate the storytelling. In the frame, however, the subtly ironic commentaries on the stories highlight the differences between masculine and feminine points of view. The conclusion of the frame reiterates the exemplary message that women are safe from men's physical and psychological abuse only in the sisterhood of the convent.These ten sensational and bizarre tales focus on the ways lovers deceive women in order to "get their way," through magic, cross dressing as women, and rape-to the torture and murder of innocent women at the hands of their protectors-their fathers, brothers, and husbands. The graphic depictions of women's mutilated bodies are unprecedented in Western literature, as is the meticulous description of domestic violence that has traditionally remained private and hidden. A fascinating dimension of these fast-paced narratives is what they suggest through omission, silence, and ambiguous detail: the untold story that fires the reader's imagination.

Written by one of twentieth-century Spain's most prominent intellectuals, this book—part memoir, part lyrical novel—is both a Bildungsroman about a young woman's intellectual formation during a crucial period of Spanish history (1929-1931) and a philosophical meditation upon the individual's place in society.Maria Zambrano's Delirium and Destiny makes the work of this major Spanish philosopher available in English for the first time. An excellent introduction to Zambrano's life and thought, it traces the intellectual formation of a young woman who became one of Jose Ortega y Gasset's most distinguished pupils, and it chronicles Zambrano's redefinition of his philosophical positions. A truly interdisciplinary work, this translation is accompanied by an extensive critical essay, a translator's afterword, and a glossary of pertinent historical and philosophical terms.

A translation of Grazia Deledda's final novel, an autobiographically based portrayal of an Italian woman coming to terms with breast cancer at the cusp of the twentieth century.The Church of Solitude tells the story of Maria Concezione, a young Sardinian seamstress living with breast cancer at the cusp of the twentieth century. Overwhelmed by the shame of her diagnosis, she decides that no one can know what has happened to her, but the heavy burden of this secrecy changes her life in dramatic ways and almost causes the destruction of several people in her life. This surprising novel paints the portrait of a woman facing the unknown with courage, faith, and self-reliance, and is the last and most autobiographical work of Grazia Deledda, who died of breast cancer in 1936, shortly after its publication. An afterword by the translator offers additional information on the author and examines the social and historical environment of that time.

A collection of sixty short stories by women writers from across the Arab world.Consisting of sixty short stories by forty women writers from across the Arab world, this collection opens numerous windows onto Arab culture and society and offers keen insights into what Arab women feel and think. The stories deal not only with feminist issues but also with topics of a social, cultural, and political nature. Different styles and modes of writing are represented, along with a diversity of techniques and creative approaches, and the authors present many points of view and various ways of solving problems and confronting situations in everyday life. Lively, outspoken, and provocative, these stories are essential reading for anyone interested in the Arab world.

A collection of sixty short stories by women writers from across the Arab world.Consisting of sixty short stories by forty women writers from across the Arab world, this collection opens numerous windows onto Arab culture and society and offers keen insights into what Arab women feel and think. The stories deal not only with feminist issues but also with topics of a social, cultural, and political nature. Different styles and modes of writing are represented, along with a diversity of techniques and creative approaches, and the authors present many points of view and various ways of solving problems and confronting situations in everyday life. Lively, outspoken, and provocative, these stories are essential reading for anyone interested in the Arab world.

Food and its preparation play an integral role in this novel of a young Italian woman struggling to find her own identity in a family of strong personalities and colorful figures.Part autobiographical novel and part cookbook, Keeping House tells the story of a young Italian woman struggling to find self-definition and self-identity. Born into a prominent Jewish Italian family full of strong personalities and colorful figures, Clara narrates the humorous, dramatic, and often poignant events that inform her life. Intertwining recipes with her narrative, Clara uses food as markers for the cornerstones of her life, allowing her to discover and remember both public and private events-a Yom Kippur dinner, fascism and antifascism, the early years of the young Italian republic, the politics and culture of the Italian left, the openness of the 1960s and '70s, and the retreat into privacy of the 1980s.

Selected letters from Juliette Drouet to her lover, Victor Hugo, offering insights into nineteenth-century French culture as well as an insider's look at the character, behavior, working habits, and day-to-day life of France's most monumental man of letters.My Beloved Toto, a collection of letters written by Juliette Drouet to her lover, Victor Hugo, tells the story of a life and of the great love affair that shaped it. From 1833 until her death half a century later, Drouet wrote to Hugo twice daily on average, resulting in thousands of letters. The 186 translated here-most appearing in English for the first time-offer insights into nineteenth-century French culture as well as an insider's look at the character, behavior, working habits, and day-to-day life of France's most monumental man of letters.

The poems of Anna Margolin (1887–1952), appearing here both in the original Yiddish and in English translation.Winner of the 2007 Yiddish Literature and Translation from Yiddish presented by the Helen and Stan Vine Annual Canadian Jewish Book Awards2007 Runner Up of the National Jewish Book Award in Poetry Born Rosa Lebensboym in Belarus, Anna Margolin (1887–1952) settled permanently in America in 1913. A brilliant yet largely forgotten poet, her reputation rests on her volume of poetry published in Yiddish in 1929 in New York City. Although written in the 1920s, Margolin's poetry is remarkably fresh and contemporary, dealing with themes of anxiety, loneliness, sexual tensions, and the search for intellectual and spiritual identity, all of which were clearly reflected in her own life choices. Sensitively and beautifully translated here, the poems appear both in the original Yiddish and in English translation.Shirley Kumove's fascinating critical-biographical introduction highlights Margolin's tempestuous and unconventional life. An exceptionally beautiful and gifted woman, Margolin adopted a bohemian and an eccentric lifestyle, and threw herself into both intellectual pursuits and romantic attachments beyond her two marriages.

Fictional narrative of a young girl's experiences at the beginning of the Spanish Civil War.Set in the Canary Islands at the outset of the Spanish Civil War, The Ravine is the provocative, disturbing account of a child's experience with war. Narrated by an unnamed seven-year-old girl, the story begins in the early days of the war when her father-a staunch supporter of the Republic-goes into hiding. As the girl and her family await news of his whereabouts, they learn he is taken prisoner, brought to trial, and eventually sentenced to forced labor in a concentration camp. Confused and bereft, they visit him in the camp, hoping he will be spared the firing squad and the subsequent "burial" in the ravine, a fate that befalls so many prisoners.Acclaimed since its original appearance in French in 1958, The Ravine has been published in several languages and remains the novel for which Nivaria Tejera is best known. This is the first English translation.

This book presents translations of poems by the Spanish poet, Rosalía de Castro, who is today considered one of the outstanding figures of nineteeth-century Spanish literature. Her poetry, often compared to that of Emily Dickinson, is characterized by an intimate lyricism, simple diction, and innovative prosody.Included here are a critical introduction, notes to the translations, two of the poet's own autobiographical prologues that have never before been translated, and over one hundred poems translated from both Gallician and Spanish. The selected poems are from de Castro's most important books, Cantares gallgos; Follas novas; and En las orillas del Sar.

This book examines five of the most influential Chinese-born women writers of the post-war era: Nie Hualing, Yu Lihua, Chen Ruoxi, Li Li, and Zhong Xiaoyang. They have become a dominating force in Chinese literature today, although they presently reside outside their homeland. This book raises a clear and consistent voice in line with the literature of exile and self discovery. As these writers talk of the 'root'-the self, and their social, cultural, and historical identities- their varied voices share the unique characteristics of the literature of exile.These women, who continue to write in their native language, envision themselves as the literary mediators between their lost past and their newly adopted homeland. They compare each of these worlds in terms of the demons with which they have wrestled for identity, recognition, and freedom.The book is of interest not only to those with a particular interest in the phenomenon of these Chinese exiled intellectual émigrés and their role in the influence on the development of Chinese literature, but to those who seek to understand the development of women's studies and world literature as a whole, and the influence of East-West literary relations in particular.

This book examines five of the most influential Chinese-born women writers of the post-war era: Nie Hualing, Yu Lihua, Chen Ruoxi, Li Li, and Zhong Xiaoyang. They have become a dominating force in Chinese literature today, although they presently reside outside their homeland. This book raises a clear and consistent voice in line with the literature of exile and self discovery. As these writers talk of the 'root'-the self, and their social, cultural, and historical identities- their varied voices share the unique characteristics of the literature of exile.These women, who continue to write in their native language, envision themselves as the literary mediators between their lost past and their newly adopted homeland. They compare each of these worlds in terms of the demons with which they have wrestled for identity, recognition, and freedom.The book is of interest not only to those with a particular interest in the phenomenon of these Chinese exiled intellectual émigrés and their role in the influence on the development of Chinese literature, but to those who seek to understand the development of women's studies and world literature as a whole, and the influence of East-West literary relations in particular.

Written by one of twentieth-century Spain's most prominent intellectuals, this book—part memoir, part lyrical novel—is both a Bildungsroman about a young woman's intellectual formation during a crucial period of Spanish history (1929-1931) and a philosophical meditation upon the individual's place in society.Maria Zambrano's Delirium and Destiny makes the work of this major Spanish philosopher available in English for the first time. An excellent introduction to Zambrano's life and thought, it traces the intellectual formation of a young woman who became one of Jose Ortega y Gasset's most distinguished pupils, and it chronicles Zambrano's redefinition of his philosophical positions. A truly interdisciplinary work, this translation is accompanied by an extensive critical essay, a translator's afterword, and a glossary of pertinent historical and philosophical terms.

A translation of Ma Double Vie, the autobiography of the French actress Sarah Bernhardt, who was one of the classical theater's all-time greatest stars.My Double Life is the autobiography of the French actress Sarah Bernhardt, who was internationally famed during her lifetime and afterwards as one of the classical theater's all-time greatest stars. Bernhardt's memoirs are composed with a novelist's (or actress's) sense of artistry and suspense that leaves no doubt of the charisma for which she was famed in her "double life," both on- and off-stage. Yet at the same time as this book very consciously contributes to the crafting of her image, it also illuminates a whole era: not only the world of theater, but also the worlds of women, politics, society, Europe and America, and, indeed, of history making itself.

A translation of Ma Double Vie, the autobiography of the French actress Sarah Bernhardt, who was one of the classical theater's all-time greatest stars.My Double Life is the autobiography of the French actress Sarah Bernhardt, who was internationally famed during her lifetime and afterwards as one of the classical theater's all-time greatest stars. Bernhardt's memoirs are composed with a novelist's (or actress's) sense of artistry and suspense that leaves no doubt of the charisma for which she was famed in her "double life," both on- and off-stage. Yet at the same time as this book very consciously contributes to the crafting of her image, it also illuminates a whole era: not only the world of theater, but also the worlds of women, politics, society, Europe and America, and, indeed, of history making itself.

Ten short stories and a dramatic monologue by one of contemporary Austria's most important and provocative writers.Elisabeth Reichart is one of the most important and provocative writers to emerge from postwar Austria. This book includes a translation of La Valse, a collection of short stories in which Reichart directs her critical gaze at the hidden power struggles and unacknowledged hierarchies that dehumanize interpersonal relations. In the title story, the narrator, raped as a child by her father, spins wildly to Ravel's "La Valse" until she falls from dizziness, suggesting the will to escape patriarchal abuse, but also the difficulty of such an attempt. Each of the subsequent stories follows the movements of a waltz gone brutally awry.Also offered here is Foreign, Reichart's first stage piece which dramatizes the struggles of a woman who refused to fall silent, who continued to write in the face of complete powerlessness. The work is based on the historical figure Helene von Druskowitz, a female Wunderkind, who wrote prolifically, usually under a pseudonym, one of which was "Foreign." A classic example of the "madwoman in the attic," her genius earned her not recognition but internment in an insane asylum, where she remained until her death twenty-seven years later.

Two full-length and three one-act plays, translated here for the first time into English.Best known as a novelist, George Sand (1804–1876) was also arguably the most successful woman dramatist in history. More than twenty of her plays were staged in major Paris theaters to widespread popular and critical acclaim. Translated here for the first time into English are her two most famous full-length comedies, The Marquis de Villemer and Françoise, as well as her three major one-act plays, The Paving Stone, The Japanese Lily, and A Good Deed Is Never Wasted. Noted for their lively characterization, sparkling dialogue, and deft constructions, her plays reflect the passion and generosity of her own character, as well as a quick-witted sense of humor.The translations are preceded by an introduction outlining Sand's theatrical career, the main themes and characteristics of her plays, and critical appraisals from her own generation to the present day. The translations are followed by notes and a bibliography.

Two full-length and three one-act plays, translated here for the first time into English.Best known as a novelist, George Sand (1804–1876) was also arguably the most successful woman dramatist in history. More than twenty of her plays were staged in major Paris theaters to widespread popular and critical acclaim. Translated here for the first time into English are her two most famous full-length comedies, The Marquis de Villemer and Françoise, as well as her three major one-act plays, The Paving Stone, The Japanese Lily, and A Good Deed Is Never Wasted. Noted for their lively characterization, sparkling dialogue, and deft constructions, her plays reflect the passion and generosity of her own character, as well as a quick-witted sense of humor.The translations are preceded by an introduction outlining Sand's theatrical career, the main themes and characteristics of her plays, and critical appraisals from her own generation to the present day. The translations are followed by notes and a bibliography.

A scandalous bestseller of mid-nineteenth-century France, translated here for the first time into English.Winner of the 2004 Soeurette Diehl Fraser Award for Best Translation presented by the Texas Institute of Letters First published in 1846 under the pen name Daniel Stern, Nelida tells the story of a beautiful French heiress who surrenders everything-marriage, reputation, and an aristocratic way of life-for the love of a talented young middle class painter. Based on the author's own ten-year relationship with the pianist and composer Franz Liszt, the novel quickly became the scandalous bestseller of its day. Its author, Marie d'Agoult, has emerged as one of the most remarkable women of her time. An aristocratic Parisian woman who left her husband and child to become the companion of Liszt, d'Agoult became an accomplished woman of letters whose works included a major history of the 1848 revolution in Paris. In Nelida, her only major novel, she brings to life the deeply intimate parts of her own story and the era in which it took place. Written with a keen sensitivity to social mores and psychological nuances, the novel reveals the primal cry of a woman determined to control her own destiny without betraying her womanhood. Appearing here for the first time in English, Lynn Hoggard's translation of Nelida is ripe for rereading by today's readers.

A scandalous bestseller of mid-nineteenth-century France, translated here for the first time into English.Winner of the 2004 Soeurette Diehl Fraser Award for Best Translation presented by the Texas Institute of Letters First published in 1846 under the pen name Daniel Stern, Nelida tells the story of a beautiful French heiress who surrenders everything-marriage, reputation, and an aristocratic way of life-for the love of a talented young middle class painter. Based on the author's own ten-year relationship with the pianist and composer Franz Liszt, the novel quickly became the scandalous bestseller of its day. Its author, Marie d'Agoult, has emerged as one of the most remarkable women of her time. An aristocratic Parisian woman who left her husband and child to become the companion of Liszt, d'Agoult became an accomplished woman of letters whose works included a major history of the 1848 revolution in Paris. In Nelida, her only major novel, she brings to life the deeply intimate parts of her own story and the era in which it took place. Written with a keen sensitivity to social mores and psychological nuances, the novel reveals the primal cry of a woman determined to control her own destiny without betraying her womanhood. Appearing here for the first time in English, Lynn Hoggard's translation of Nelida is ripe for rereading by today's readers.

A new translation of Sand's most popular novella, known for its brevity, liveliness, and exemplary storytelling, together with two of Sand's most admired short stories.Newly translated into English, "The Devil's Pool" is the most popular of George Sand's novellas and her best-selling work in France today. Illustrating Sand's brevity, liveliness, and exemplary storytelling, the tale deals with many of her characteristic themes-the relations between the sexes, the plight of the underprivileged, and the role of fantasy in human life-making it an ideal introduction to her work. Also included are translations of two of Sand's most admired short stories, "Lavinia" and "The Unknown God," as well as various relevant essays and documents.

A new translation of Sand's most popular novella, known for its brevity, liveliness, and exemplary storytelling, together with two of Sand's most admired short stories.Newly translated into English, "The Devil's Pool" is the most popular of George Sand's novellas and her best-selling work in France today. Illustrating Sand's brevity, liveliness, and exemplary storytelling, the tale deals with many of her characteristic themes-the relations between the sexes, the plight of the underprivileged, and the role of fantasy in human life-making it an ideal introduction to her work. Also included are translations of two of Sand's most admired short stories, "Lavinia" and "The Unknown God," as well as various relevant essays and documents.

Food and its preparation play an integral role in this novel of a young Italian woman struggling to find her own identity in a family of strong personalities and colorful figures.Part autobiographical novel and part cookbook, Keeping House tells the story of a young Italian woman struggling to find self-definition and self-identity. Born into a prominent Jewish Italian family full of strong personalities and colorful figures, Clara narrates the humorous, dramatic, and often poignant events that inform her life. Intertwining recipes with her narrative, Clara uses food as markers for the cornerstones of her life, allowing her to discover and remember both public and private events-a Yom Kippur dinner, fascism and antifascism, the early years of the young Italian republic, the politics and culture of the Italian left, the openness of the 1960s and '70s, and the retreat into privacy of the 1980s.

Selected letters from Juliette Drouet to her lover, Victor Hugo, offering insights into nineteenth-century French culture as well as an insider's look at the character, behavior, working habits, and day-to-day life of France's most monumental man of letters.My Beloved Toto, a collection of letters written by Juliette Drouet to her lover, Victor Hugo, tells the story of a life and of the great love affair that shaped it. From 1833 until her death half a century later, Drouet wrote to Hugo twice daily on average, resulting in thousands of letters. The 186 translated here-most appearing in English for the first time-offer insights into nineteenth-century French culture as well as an insider's look at the character, behavior, working habits, and day-to-day life of France's most monumental man of letters.

The poems of Anna Margolin (1887–1952), appearing here both in the original Yiddish and in English translation.Winner of the 2007 Yiddish Literature and Translation from Yiddish presented by the Helen and Stan Vine Annual Canadian Jewish Book Awards2007 Runner Up of the National Jewish Book Award in Poetry Born Rosa Lebensboym in Belarus, Anna Margolin (1887–1952) settled permanently in America in 1913. A brilliant yet largely forgotten poet, her reputation rests on her volume of poetry published in Yiddish in 1929 in New York City. Although written in the 1920s, Margolin's poetry is remarkably fresh and contemporary, dealing with themes of anxiety, loneliness, sexual tensions, and the search for intellectual and spiritual identity, all of which were clearly reflected in her own life choices. Sensitively and beautifully translated here, the poems appear both in the original Yiddish and in English translation.Shirley Kumove's fascinating critical-biographical introduction highlights Margolin's tempestuous and unconventional life. An exceptionally beautiful and gifted woman, Margolin adopted a bohemian and an eccentric lifestyle, and threw herself into both intellectual pursuits and romantic attachments beyond her two marriages.

Two texts—one novella and one essay—that exemplify Dohm's passionate arguments for gender equality.Hedwig Dohm (1831–1919) was a thinker and writer significantly ahead of her time. She championed women's rights in Germany and criticized with acerbic wit the social, political, and familial inequities inherent in gender relationships at the time of the first wave of the women's movement. Her novella Become Who You Are is about a woman, Agnes Schmidt, whose husband has died and who is grappling with finding an identity for herself as an aging widow-reflecting the restrictions imposed especially on aging, widowed women who often yearn for a life and identity of their own. Also included here is the English translation of Dohm's essay, "The Old Woman," which is a compelling call for women to resist the social, intellectual, psychological, and physical restraints placed on women of Dohm's time.

Two texts—one novella and one essay—that exemplify Dohm's passionate arguments for gender equality.Hedwig Dohm (1831–1919) was a thinker and writer significantly ahead of her time. She championed women's rights in Germany and criticized with acerbic wit the social, political, and familial inequities inherent in gender relationships at the time of the first wave of the women's movement. Her novella Become Who You Are is about a woman, Agnes Schmidt, whose husband has died and who is grappling with finding an identity for herself as an aging widow-reflecting the restrictions imposed especially on aging, widowed women who often yearn for a life and identity of their own. Also included here is the English translation of Dohm's essay, "The Old Woman," which is a compelling call for women to resist the social, intellectual, psychological, and physical restraints placed on women of Dohm's time.