I translate contemporary Latin American poetry from Spanish to English. I intentionally choose projects that are underrepresented in the English language and in U.S. publishing—whether due to the aesthetics, politics, race, gender, sexuality, or national origin of the author—and that defy Cold War-instilled reading preferences. I view translation as a highly-charged political practice and I work to cultivate it as anti-imperialist action.
Book-Length Translations
Time is a Cryptic Text, by Lauri García Dueñas (El Salvador). UNDER REVIEW.
The Roof of the Whale Poems, by Juan Calzadilla (Venezuela). Co-translated with Katherine M. Hedeen. University of Wisconsin Press, 2023.
Katabasis, by Lucía Estrada (Colombia). Eulalia Books, 2020.
Almost Obscene, by Raúl Gómez Jattin (Colombia). Co-translated with Katherine M. Hedeen. CSU Poetry Center, 2022.
The Dirty Text, by Soleida Ríos (Cuba). Co-translated with Barbara Jamison. Kenning Editions, 2018.
Semifinalist, National Translation Award in Poetry, 2023
for The Roof of the Whale Poems by Juan Calzadilla, with Katherine M. Hedeen
Winner, Wisconsin Prize for Poetry in Translation, 2022
for The Roof of the Whale Poems by Juan Calzadilla, with Katherine M. Hedeen
Winner, Academy of American Poets & Words Without Borders Poems in Translation Prize, 2021
for “0” by Lauri García Dueñas
Finalist, PEN Award for Poetry in Translation, 2021
for Katabasis by Lucía Estrada
Selected Recent Translations of Poems
“Three Poems,” by Juan Calzadilla. Co-translated with Katherine M. Hedeen. Circumference, 2022 (print).
“Three Poems,” by Leira Aráujo. Co-translated with Katherine M. Hedeen. Southwest Review, 2022 (print).
“From Dictated by the Pack,” by Juan Calzadilla. Co-translated with Katherine M. Hedeen. Asymptote Journal, 2022.
“18,” by Lauri García Dueñas. BOMB Literary Magazine, 2022.
“Three Poems from Time is a Cryptic Text,” by Lauri García Dueñas. Asymptote Journal (Translation Tuesday Feature), 2022.
“0,” by Lauri García Dueñas. Academy of American Poets & Words Without Borders, 2021.
“Playlist: Katábasis by Lucía Estrada.” Verse Press, 2020.
“Cereté, Córdoba,” by Raúl Gómez Jattin. Co-translated with Katherine M. Hedeen. Words Without Borders, 2019.
Poesía en acción
A monthly feature for the Action Books Blog dedicated to Latin American and Iberian poetries in translation. Home of the translator micro-interview series.
Curated by Olivia Lott, with web editing by Paul Cunningham
