Show Notes and Links to Martina Testa’s Work and Allusions/Texts from Episode
On Episode 48, Pete welcomes Martina Testa, who has translated many American authors into Italian, including David Foster Wallace, Cormac McCarthy, Jonathan Lethem, Jennifer Egan, and Kurt Vonnegut. She translates for Edizioni Sur.
The two talk about Martina’s love of literature, translation as an art, David Foster Wallace-his greatness and the specific difficulties of translating his work into Italian-and much more.
Martina Testa’s Website
Interview with Martina (in Italian)
Martina Testa on The Great Concavity Podcast, discussing David Foster Wallace
Edizioni Sur, where Martina works
At about 1:40, Martina talks about her reading life during her childhood, including reading from an incredibly early age-she was, she says “in love with reading”
At about 3:30, Martina talks about her mostly self-guided learning of English
At about 4:15, Martina talks about Little Women, 1984, and other favorite books from her childhood
At about 8:20, Martina talks about contemporary work that she has enjoyed in the last ten years or so, including Colson Whitehead, George Saunders, and Jennifer Egan
At about 9:50, Martina talks about the specific literary culture of Italy, and its emphasis on intellectual, and not commercial, fiction
At about 13:40, Pete and Martina talk about Christ Stopped at Eboli, Martin Eden, the Italian film, and other recommendations
At about 15:10, Martina and Pete talk about the idea of translators as conduits and interpretes,
At about 17:55, Martina talks about her process for, and philosophy of, translation
At about 21:00, Martina talks about translating great authors who she knows were so careful in every way with their diction, versus those who write sloppily and she has to translate; she also talks about
At about 24:00, Pete and Martina talk about Episode 42 guest, Edoardo Ballerini’s, definition of interprete, and Martina talks about how she sees the term similarly
At about 25:15, Martina talks about her introduction to David Foster Wallace, and how he became the first writer she ever translated
At about 29:30, Martina talks about how working on translation for David Foster Wallace led to her career as a translator and editor
At about 30:30, Martina talks about meeting David Foster Wallace on a few occasions
At about 34:25, Martina talks about what has drawn her to Wallace’s writing, especially his incredible mental acuity and curiosity and his original style of writing
At about 36:55, Pete and Martina talk about the title essay of A Supposedly Fun Thing that I’ll Never Do Again, a towering achievement-funny, sad, etc.
At about 39:05, Martina talks about Infinite Jest and its history in translation in Italy
At about 42:10, Pete and Martina read and discuss excerpts of Martina’s translation of “John Billy” from Wallace’s collection called The Girl with Curious Hair, and Martina talks about her process in searching for ways to translate and put Wallace’s work into Italian in the early days of the Internet
At about 51:10, Pete and Martina read and discuss excerpts of Wallace “E Unibus Pluram,” from the collection A Supposedly Fun Thing that I’ll Never Do Again and Martina’s translation of the piece
At about 58:40, Martina talks about translating from an Anglo-Saxon/Germanic-based language like English into a Romance language like Italian
At about 1:00:25, Martina talks about upcoming projects, including translation of Bernadine Evaristo
You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Spotify and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I’m @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I’m @chillsatwillpo1.
This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I’d love for your help in promoting what I’m convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.
The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.
Episode 194 with Ruth Madievsky, Brilliant Tactician of Plot, Humor, and Nuanced Profundity, and the Writer
Episode 193 with Ethan Chatagnier, Author of Singer Distance, and Standout Worldbuilder and Character Artist
Episode 192 with Donovan X. Ramsey, Author of When Crack Was King: A People’s History of a Misunderstood Era and Master Craftsman of a Historical Book that Shines Through Personal Stories
Episode 191 with Sarah Fawn Montgomery, Possessor of a Poetic Sensibility, Chronicler of Nature, the Psyche, and Love’s Many Iterations, and Author of Halfway from Home: Essays
Episode 190 with Ellen Birkett Morris, Renaissance Woman: Teacher, Dramatist, Prose Writer, and Author of the Precise, Affecting, and Chill-Inducing Lost Girls
Episode 189 with Andrés Reséndez, Researcher on The Spanish Conquest and Author of the Award-Winning and Rigorously-Researched The Other Slavery: The Uncovered Story of Indian Enslavement in America
Episode 188 with Kavita Das, Writer and Editor of Craft and Conscience: How to Write about Social Issues, and Reflective and Thoughtful Chronicler of Important and Compelling Stories
Episode 187 with V Castro, Author of The Haunting of Alejandra, Two-Time Bram Stoker Nominee, and Creator of Scary and Real Worlds and Characters That Resonate
Episode 186 with Stephanie Feldman, Author of Saturnalia, Master Worldbuilder, and Crafter of Intriguing and Engrossing Satire and Allegory
Episode 185 with Toni Ann Johnson, Renaissance Woman, Master Storyteller in Film and on the Page, and Author of the Award-Winning Light Skin Gone to Waste
Episode 184 with Robert Ottone, Bram Stocker-Nominated Creator of Worlds Familiar and Scary, Master of Allegory and Pure Terror, and The Author of The Vile Thing We Created
Episode 183 with Eli Cranor, Master of Dialogue, Suspense, and Profundity, and Author of Edgar Award-Nominated Don’t Know Tough and its Followup, the Standout Ozark Dogs
Episode 182 with Talia Lakshmi Kolluri, Gifted Storyteller, Stellar Translator of Animals’ Inner Lives, and Master of Thoughtful Prose
Episode 181 with Ramona Reeves, Author of It Falls Gently All Around, Keen Observer of the Banal and the Dramatic, and Skilled Craftswoman of the Space Between Scenes and Characters
Episode 180 with Jennifer Dawn Carlson, Thorough and Thoughtful Researcher, Sociologist, and Interviewer, and Author of Merchants of the Right: Gun Sellers and the Crisis of American Democracy
Episode 179 with Sarah Cypher, Skilled and Thorough and Thoughtful Chronicler of The Long Reaches of History, Identity, and ,What Constitutes Home
Episode 178 with Stephen Buoro, Master Craftsman of Satire, Humor, Mathematics, Philosophy Merging in His Instant Classic, The Five Sorrowful Mysteries of Andy Africa
Episode 177 with Laura Warrell, Skilled Chronicler of Art and Connection and Aging, and Author of Sweet, Soft, Plenty Rhythm, PEN/Faulkner Finalist
Episode 176 with Raegen Pietrucha: Skillful Wordsmith, Image Painter, Ardent Activist for Survivors of Sexual Violence and Writer of The Powerful Head of a Gorgon Poetry Collection
Episode 175 with Jordan Harper, Renowned TV Writer, Primo Crime and Noir Writer, Chronicler of Moral Ambiguity, and Writer of the Exciting, Profound, Stunningly-Good Everybody Knows
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
Voice of Mushfik
Lit Society: Books and Drama
Ex Libris
The Story of Mankind
Great Expectations
Fresh Air
Myths and Legends