Two Lines: Masks (Multilingual)

The titles in this series of works from the Center for the Art of Translation are intended as literary works for a mature and serious study of international poetry. They may include instances of or references to violence and/or sexuality. These references, however, are not gratuitous but rather advance the poet's point or intentions. Please read the description below carefully to ensure these materials are appropriate for your young adults.

From the publisher:

Masks are so fundamental to our experience that, as the poet Heather McHugh has pointed out, "Person comes from mask." The English word person actually derives from the Latin word persona, which means an actor's mask or a character in a play.

Since the earliest days of human culture, masks have been used both to reveal and to conceal. Masks can have playful or serious faces, and they are used for the carnival and for the executioner.

The nineteen different interpretations of masks in this issue take in many continents, languages, and time periods. They include an excerpt of a recent Mexican novel by Jorge Volpi spoofing fads in French philosophy, and a traditional Alaskan native tale retold by John E. Smelcer.

This issue presents some of the strongest translators working into English today, and some of the most electric literature from the corners of the globe.