Maggie

An Edward Gorey drawing showing a morose looking black bird on a branch. He (and this feels very much like a he) is pointing downwards with one scraggly wing, and looking straight ahead with debt-filled eyes. His beak is long and sharp, like winter on the Great Plains. He is pointing with his right wing, but this means he is pointing to your left. Your wicked, sinister side. This is no accident. The Bird makes no such mistakes. But he is talking, and the text tells us that he is saying, "Beware of this and that." Honestly, you feel his message in your bones.

Some days I just feel like this Edward Gorey bird gets it.

NEW YORK’S CUTEST

It can get lower!

Mood in minneapolis right now

Protester in Minneapolis just before disappearing in gas: "Fuck you! Stop. Damn! I'm 70 years old and I'm fuckin' angry!"

Will Democrats Vote to Give Trump More Money for ICE? Americans increasingly want to see ICE abolished. Yet, Democrats could soon help Trump expand his violent anti-immigration campaign.

Abolishing ICE is now at record approval.

Renee Good's murder has ignited US disgust at taxes going to ICE, as Republicans cut everything else.

GOP needs Democrat votes to fund gov't.

Why are some Dems not using that power to cut ICE $$?

And why do they say "No New Funding" — not "No Funding"?

If you’re in Minneapolis and need a place to just BE right now, Big Hill Books and Birchbark Books & Native Arts are both open and ready to welcome you with open arms.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey on ICE’s justification for the shooting:

“Having seen the video I can tell you that
is bullshit…to ICE, get the fuck out of Minneapolis.”

Depuis quelques semaines, plusieurs dizaines de traducteurs et traductrices travaillant régulièrement avec les éditions Harlequin reçoivent les unes après les autres un appel téléphonique leur annonçant la fin de leur collaboration avec la maison d’édition. Leurs contrats en cours seront les derniers. Collection par collection, Harlequin abandonne la traduction : un prestataire externe, l’agence de communication Fluent Planet, se chargera de passer les textes dans un logiciel de « traduction automatique » et de recruter directement en freelance des relecteurs et relectrices chargées de post-éditer la sortie machine en français. L’objectif affiché est de gagner en rentabilité en rognant sur le temps de travail. C’est, à notre connaissance, la première fois en France qu’une maison d’édition passe à grande échelle à la « traduction automatique » et à la post-édition, de surcroît en externalisant cette activité. Dès lors, mérite-t-elle encore le nom de « maison d’édition » ?

De telles pratiques sont inacceptables. Des personnes, parfois collaboratrices de longue date de la maison, perdent brutalement une source de revenus régulière, ne se voyant offrir comme compensation que la possibilité (sans aucune garantie, d’ailleurs) de travailler au rabais pour un prestataire externe, Fluent Planet, au lieu de traduire pour une maison d’édition. Une perspective que beaucoup des traducteurs et traductrices concernées refusent. Pour cesser de travailler avec nous, artistes-auteurs et autrices, pas besoin de licenciement ni de préavis, même si la collaboration a été régulière pendant cinq, dix, voire vingt ans. La réalité de la perte brutale d’activité et de revenus n’en est pas moins là. Nous subissons de plein fouet la précarité extrême de notre condition d’artistes-autrices et auteurs : nous n’avons aucun droit au chômage, et certaines personnes concernées proches de l’âge de la retraite ne pourront même pas compter sur une pension décente du fait du non-appel des cotisations de la part de l’AGESSA. Dans ces circonstances, nous devons en tant que profession nous élever collectivement face à ce qui s’apparente à un plan social invisible.

Ces pratiques sont une trahison des travailleurs et travailleuses du livre, mais aussi une trahison du lectorat. C’est brader totalement l’activité de traduction, au mépris des personnes qui traduisent et de celles qui lisent. C’est mettre le doigt dans l’engrenage de la dégradation des productions éditoriales, dans une logique délétère du « good enough » (qualité passable) qui dépossède les travailleurs et travailleuses du livre de leur savoir-faire et de leur créativité, et le lectorat d’un accès à une littérature humaine et vivante. Travailleurs, travailleuses du livre, directions de maisons d’édition, lecteurs, lectrices : refusons que la « traduction automatique » mette le pied dans la porte des maisons d’édition et réaffirmons notre attachement inconditionnel à des textes humains, créés par des humaines et des humains, dans des conditions de travail dignes.

Avec le soutien de : ATAA, Association des traducteurs et adaptateurs de l'audiovisuel ATLAS - Association pour la promotion de la traduction littéraire - CITL Collectif IA-lerte générale CAAP - Comité Pluridisciplinaire des Artistes-Auteurs·trices Editeurs du Sud Fill, Fédération interrégionale du livre et de la lecture Ligue des auteurs professionnels Réseau Les Résidences pour l'art d'écrire Saif - Société des Auteurs des arts visuels et de l'Image Fixe SdS, Syndicat Des Scénaristes Section des correctrices et correcteurs du SGLCE-CGT (Syndicat général du Livre et de la Communication écrite CGT) SFT - Société française des traducteurs SNAPcgt • Syndicat National des Artistes Plasticien·nes cgt STAA-CNT-SO, Syndicat des Travailleur.euse.s Artistes / Auteurs Sud Culture Solidaires Métiers du Livre Toute organisation peut encore soutenir ce communiqué en adressant un mail à : presidence@atlf.org

"Bradage de la traduction, plan social invisible : Harlequin passe à l’IA"

Faites tourner, parce qu'il va falloir se battre encore plus. :/

#traduction #IA #Harlequin #ATLF

Photo shared by Christina Nguyen on December 04, 2025 tagging @naomi.marie__, @nathanmiller612, @rubyscher, @holaarepa, @birksg, @chefjholig, and @haihaimpls. May be an image of text that says 'AS SOME OF YOU MAY HAVE HEARD, I.C.E. PAID US A VISIT AT AREPA YESTERDAY. OUR GM NAOMI & TEAM MEMBERS FOLLOWED OUR ICE PROTOCOL PERFECTLY, THE AGENTS LEFT & NO ONE WAS DETAINED. tO WHOEVER NEEDS THIS: KNOW YOUR RIGHTS WHEN IT COMES TO I.C.E. (1/5)'. christinanguyenmpls 11h We had an ICE scare yesterday and even though we’re afraid of the repercussions of being vocal, we feel that it’s also important to inform people that this is right at our front door. ICE is not some far away boogeyman. They are here right now, spreading fear in our community. We’re so grateful to our entire staff and their bravery. They did the right things and couldn’t have dealt with this situation in a better way. We are grateful to our community activists that came to support us from @miracmn @litosonlake and Monarcha. We hope that if you find yourself in the same situation, that you find these resources helpful. Peace and take care of each other ❤️

Photo by Christina Nguyen on December 04, 2025. May be an image of text that says 'IF I.C.E. COMES TO YOUR RESTAURANT: UNLESS THE AGENTS HAVE A SIGNED JUDICIAL WARRANT, THEY CANNOT ENTER A PRIVATE AREA LIKE THE KITCHEN WITHOUT YOUR PERMISSION EVEN IF THEY LIE AND SAY THY DON'T NEED A WARRANT, STAND YOUR GROUND AND INSIST THAT YOU NEED PAPERWORK (2/5)'.

Photo by Christina Nguyen on December 04, 2025. May be an image of text that says 'IF I.C.E. COMES TO YOUR RESTAURANT: HAVE OTHER STAFF OR PEOPLE PRESENT RECORD THEM AND EVERYTHING THEY ARE SAYING. (PEOPLE DOING UNLAWFUL THINGS HATE BEING CAUGHT IN TH ACT) YOU HAVE THE RIGHT to REFUSE SERVICE & YOU CAN ASK M tO LEAVE YOUR PRIVATE PROPERTY IF THY DON'T HAVE A WARRANT. (3/5)'.

WE ARE HEARTBROKEN THAT OUR IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES IN THE TWIN CITIES ARE BEING TARGETED AND TERRORIZED BY THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION. THESE ARE REAL PEOPLE THAT ARE BEING USED AS POLITICAL PAWNS AND IT'S APPALLING. REGARDLESS OF THEIR LEGAL STATUS, THERE ARE SO MANY LATINOS & SOMALIANS WHO ARE AFRAID OF BEING DETAINED DUE TO MISTAKEN IDENTITY BECAUSE THEY KNOW THEY MIGHT NOT GET DUE PROCESS & A FAIR TRIAL. THEY WILL JUST END UP IN DETENTION CENTERS & A LEGAL PROCESS THAT HAS BEEN DESCRIBED AS A BLACK HOLE. WE STAND IN SUPPORT OF OUR IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY, WHO ARE THE BACKBONE OF THIS COUNTRY. WITHOUT IMMIGRANTS, AMERICA IS NOT THE SAME PLACE. STAY SAFE OUT THERE & TAKE CARE OF YOUR NEIGHBORS. LOVE, HOLA AREPA & HAI HAI (5/5)

ICE raided a James Beard award winning restaurant & because the chef/owner was prepared, left emptyhanded:

RIP to David Bellos whose book Is That a Fish in Your Ear?: Translation and the Meaning of Everything massively contributed to me wanting to become a literary translator. When I was writing my own book about translation, I kept in mind how funny and accessible his book was.

Whenever anyone says how much of the U.S. economy is tied to AI right now, I'm like...damn, what if a single rich person had any idea other than "try to zero out labor costs through theft."

László Krasznahorkai - Words Without Borders László Krasznahorkai is the recipient of the 2019 National Book Award for Translated Literature, the 2015 Man Booker International Prize, and the 2013 Best Translated Book Award in Fiction.

OH WOW! Congratulations to our contributor, László Krasznahorkai, for winning the 2025 Nobel Prize in Literature!!! 😍🥳
wordswithoutborders.org/.../view/lsz...

Hey, maybe Barnard can invite some of the pro-Palestinian students they expelled to come back to campus to speak! /s

NYT GUEST ESSAY Barnard President: Now Is the lime for Colleges to Host Difficult Speakers

If I were editing a college president’s guest essay about the importance of colleges hosting “difficult speakers,” I would ask her to clarify how her argument squares with her history of expelling students for protesting, and why speakers should be treated better than her own students.

As kids return to school, another mass shooting has stolen young lives.

Children shouldn’t fear their classrooms. Teachers shouldn’t risk their lives. Parents shouldn’t wonder if their kids will come home.

We are the only country with more guns than people—and this is the devastating result.

At least six children are being treated following a Minneapolis school shooting Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said he was "praying for our kids and teachers whose first week of school was marred by this horrific act of violence." The shooting occurred at Annunciation Catholic School.

JUST IN: At least six children are being treated following a Minneapolis school shooting at Annunciation Catholic School.

Anyone who knows the first thing about literary translation knows that direct translations are often impossible, and that creative, nuanced, sympathetic solutions must be found due to unfamiliar idioms, imagery, rhyming schemes, etc while balancing author motifs and style. AI simply can't do that.

Writers! Note that AI translation (under the guise of "global access") is being seen/used as the weak point to get AI into publishing (possible bc Eng lang publishing is weak on translation). Stand with translators & for more human translation, fairly paid!

"GOOD FUCKING RIDDANCE"

Congratulations to the 13 brave women who risked their careers and reputations to stand up to Cuomo’s sexual predation

I wouldn't want to be the gas pedal on the car Andrew Cuomo drives back to his home not in New York City tonight.

you know, on the evidence, "pundit" is a title you just sort of give yourself and then talk like you earned it. on these grounds: I've seen enough. I'm calling the race for Mamdani

Nino Sarratore has endorsed Andrew Cuomo

Job alert! Support lit in translation as @wwborders.bsky.social's social media coordinator.

Join us next month!

Frank Báez standing in front of a sketch of himself with the text "Bienvenido a FDR Frank Báez"

Frank Báez lecturing in front of a classroom with several of his book covers projected on the wall behind him.

Frank Báez signing a book in front of a classroom

Frank Báez lecturing in a high school classroom in front of a presentation with a photograph and the text "my family in Mexico City."

At WWB Campus, we bring global literature into the classroom with author visits. This week, we had the privilege of arranging visits from Dominican poet Frank Báez, who gave presentations and workshops in NYC schools. Thank you to Frank and to the students and teachers who opened their classrooms!

On the Latest Threat to Literary Culture’s Fragile Ecosystem: Donald Trump There’s an ongoing crisis in book publishing. I mean, there are many, but corporate consolidation is a threat to anyone who cares about books. When there are fewer publishers, both large and small,…

I wrote about the NEA cuts and that overwhelming feeling when so many different orgs and people need our money. But there are some answers in here too, courtesy of @michaelholtmann.bsky.social and @markkrotov.bsky.social. lithub.com/on-the-lates...

The following text, above a green circle reading "swipe" connected to the WWB logo through a line: "Literature is how we create the world we want to live in. But that world is threatened by the administration's cuts to the NEA and the rich arts landscape it once supported. And the work we do to uplift bold, innovative global writing is newly at risk."

The following text, above a green circle reading "swipe" connected to the WWB logo through a line: "Like many other arts organizations across the country, we learned on Friday night that our 2025 NEA grant has been terminated because our work “no longer aligns” with the administration’s priorities. Moving forward, we cannot rely on funding that has sustained our magazine and our programs for well over a decade. Yet despite these challenges, we stand firm in our mission to amplify global literary voices and invite readers to explore a wider world through literature."

The following text, above a green circle reading "swipe" connected to the WWB logo through a line: "If you, like us, believe in the power of global stories, here’s what you can do in this destabilizing moment to support WWB and our vision of literature that embraces global interconnectedness:"

A set of green text boxes organized above the social media logos for Facebook, Bluesky, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn, as well as a black button with white text reading "wordswithoutborders.org" and "wwb-campus.org". Two images, one of a teacher instructing students in a classroom and one of a selfie of smiling folks at a WWB event, are interspersed with the text boxes. The boxes contain calls-to-action to support WWB, including to donate, to subscribe to newsletters, to joine WWB Campus for free, to meet us at our free public events, and to follow us on social media and share our posts.

For most of our existence, WWB has received funding from the NEA. Now, like many others, we must chart a path forward without it. But our readers still deserve access to dazzling global writing. Please donate or share our work to support our mission of bringing the world close through literature.

This high school student blew me away with her writing! I had a great time working with her on edits and am so glad to give the piece a home on our blog. Give it a read!