In the latest issue of The Literary Review, edited by the inimitable Minna Proctor:

Leyla Khalil, translated from Italian by Allison Grimaldi-Donahue
In a Land Strange to Us

We saw each other in a land that was strange to you, the first time: me on the other side of that metal detector, hoping you would make it sound.

What a wild couple of weeks. It was an honor to be on a panel about translation and love with such wonderful co-panelists. We reached from heartbreak to mother tongue(s) to Jean-Luc Nancy and beyond at the American Literary Translators’ Conference 41st Meeting in Indianapolis. I read a piece of a new translation of Patrizia Vicinelli’s work.

(Left to right Lida Nostrati, Nicholas Glastonbury, me, Jacqui Cornetta, Kira Josefsson photo: María José Giminez)

From there it was off to my alma mater Middlebury College to teach a short course on translation for the theater with my collaborator Nerina Cocchi. We were hosted by the Italian Department for a series of workshops, talks, lectures and a performance. Thanks to Stefano Mula and Sandra Carletti especially.

(Middlebury College, Vermont)

Last but not least on this whirlwind adventure was being a guest critic for colleague and friend Marco Palmieri at Cornell University’s Rome campus. We talked about art writing, blending and crossing genre and form and how hobbies and become full on practices. We then headed over to the French Academy at Villa Medici to look at work by Etel Adnan, Jean Genet, Federico Fellini, Victor Hugo and many many more.

(Etel Adnan, painting)

Honored to have my work in this book dedicated to the feminine in art criticism for the celebration of the opening of the Carla Lonzi archive in Rome at the National Gallery of Modern Art. Download the PDF to read my essay on Carol Rama, Sappho and moods of love.

Excited for this book to arrive in my mailbox. Thank you Kay. x.

Thank you to the British Centre for Literary Translation and Fiona Sampson, teacher and editor on this issue. x.

https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/rpom20?open=6&year=2018&repitition=0#vol_6_2018

A philosophical essay on language and poetry in Public Seminar at the New School. Beyond grateful and humbled to be in these pages. And special thanks to rad, generous and tough editor Paddy Gilger.

Read about plastic language here!

So excited to have these poems in the world. Franca Mancinelli is one of the most exciting poets writing in Italian today and I am honored to translate her work from Pasta Madre.

Check them out here.

I am so excited to have this review in Mousse, a magazine where I’ve worked as a copy-editor and translator for some time now. This is an amazing show at the Istituto Centrale Per Grafica in Rome.  Run to see it!

One of  my oldest and dearest friends, Michael Welsh had a show at Interstate Projects in Brooklyn and I reviewed it in The Brooklyn Rail. An honor on all fronts.

Hey world! I have a new essay in FunHouse! One of my favorite magazines, and I’m there beside Charlie Fox– a guy whose book I deeply admire. I write about the medieval romance and queer silence…a natural combination if there ever was one…

You can order a copy (and a poster!) here.