4W-WIT BILINGUAL ANTHOLOGY
A LANTERN, RADICAL LIGHT || LINTERNA, LUZ RADICAL
In collaboration with the Latin American Caribbean and Iberian Studies Program (LACIS) and the Community Altar Project at UW-Madison, the 4W Women in Translation (WIT) presents this bilingual collection of poems gathers the voices of poets from different Latin American countries and the United States. These are poets who reflect on and share the experiences of care and loss during and beyond the present COVID 19 pandemic. Their voices evoke as well the rituals and reflections linked to mourning, hope, love, and the resilience of humanity and of the planet.
Poetry as an act of translation in itself makes our collective approach (to translation) a creative ritual of truth and joy as we gather to find together the layers of meaning and the lyrical transparencies expressed in each poem; that is, the reality that surrounds and connects us all. We must add that the 4W-WIT methodology for collective translation requires multiple perspectives, iterations, and review by the author, thus creating a circular approach to our creative process.
A Lantern, Radical Light / Linterna, luz radical: On Sorrow, Comfort and Consolation, our chosen title for this volume, echoes the luminous words of poet Jeannine M. Pitas and those gathered in the collection of international voices by translator Jan Baeque (Netherlands) in Poetry International. We proudly share the poem of the Argentine poet Luisa Futoransky, “Juana de Arco el Portal” / “Joan of Arc: The Gateway”; both the original and English versions have been also published by Poetry International thanks to our collaborator, the translator Philippa Page (UK) 2020.
Lastly, this anthology commemorates the life and work of the Mexican poet Ayari Lüders (1988-2019) whose poem “Mujer de tierra” / “Woman of Earth” gives closure to the volume.
With thanks to all our national and international collaborators (writers and translators), the UW-Madison Center for the Humanities and LACIS for their continued support.
The Living Poetry: Women In Translation
4W-WIT
Dr. Sarli E. Mercado, Editor
Editorial Ultramarina C&D 