There is a longstanding academic distinction between scholarship (research) and translation, but it is a totally artificial one. After all, in order to translate any text, you have to understand it thoroughly; you have to know it intimately; you have to think about the broader context of the work (social, aesthetic, historical, political), and choose words and phrases in your target language that reflect that context. That’s scholarship.

But two different choices lead to two different versions of the story you’re trying to tell. The translator must also be able to think like an artist: poet, playwright, novelist.

I started developing my translation skills in my college Greek & Latin classes. I was fascinated by the challenge of translating ancient poetry and drama for modern ears.

My current project is an anonymous manuscript in French, dated 1691. It’s a treatise on philosophy and metaphysics, brimming with the new ideas of the early Enlightenment, and I’m working with the team that is trying to uncover the origins of this book and identify its author. The translation is commissioned by Rare Book Hub.

PREVIOUS PROJECTS (Selected)

Sappho, Poems & fragments

Vergil, Aeneid Book 4

Cookbooks!

Sample literary translations from Greek, Latin, Italian, French available upon request. Looking to hire a translator? Contact me to inquire about availability and rates.