GOOD LUCK, 2015-16 RADCLIFFE INSTITUTE FELLOWS!

Exactly a year ago, the adventure of a Radcliffe Fellowship began when we arrived at 83 Brattle Street in a U-Haul van packed full of books, papers, records, the salt cellar and some favorite cast iron pans. I’ll never forget that four hour drive from 149^th Street in New York to Cambridge. What would happen next? In days to follow I will be posting a series of photographs of some favorite moments from those nine months, avoiding the annoying issue of snow. There was snow, yes.

For now, here’s a link to a page detailing the arc of activity that carried me from September to May, and another rattling U-Haul rental:

https://www.radcliffe.harvard.edu/people/ben-miller

MURAL SPEAKS! AUGUST UPDATE: 57 TRANSLATIONS COLLECTED! MERELY 86 TO GO!

For those who missed it, here is a link to a New York Times article about the discovery of the origins of William Carlos Williams’s “The Red Wheelbarrow”—

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/07/books/the-secret-of-william-carlos-williamss-the-red-wheelbarrow.html?emc=edit_th_20150707&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=55429474

Over the summer–in addition to writing–I’ve been continuing to collect translations of this brief startling poem in every language spoken in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The effort is part of the preparation for a massive reading in the city, celebrating the diversity of the urban Midwest–an idea hatched during my fellowship year at Harvard’s Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study.

http://www.argusleader.com/story/news/2015/04/14/translating-poem-weaving-rug-unites-sioux-falls/25783329/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86LdFfs_XxU

Translators of all ages and skill levels are welcome to participate in this project designed to build community across regional boundaries and generations.

How to participate:

1. Pick a language from the list below.
2. Consult English version of poem.
3. Put pen to paper or fingers to keys/screen.
4. E-mail results to muralspeaks@gmail.com, along with a three-sentence biography, and the name of your favorite poet in the language translated. (I would like event attendees to depart with a global map of poetry in hand to discover and explore…)

The Red Wheelbarrow

 so much depends

upon

 

a red wheel


barrow

 

glazed with rain

water

 

beside the white


chickens.

                                          William Carlos Williams

 

“Red Wheelbarrow” Translations Needed (86 as of 8.4.15):

 European: Croatian, Shqip or Albanian, Ukrainian.

African: Acholi, Afar, Akan, Anyuak, Avokaya, Baki, Bari, Bassa, Bhojpuri, Burundi, Creole, Didinga, Erapice, Fulani, Grego, Jur, Kabila, Kenyarwanda, Kikiyu, Kirundi or Rundi, Kisio, Kiswahili, Krahn, Krash, Kuku, Kunama, Lakoka, Lango, Lingala, Luganda, Madi, Mai Mai or Bantu, Mandinka, Mawo, Mondari, Moru, Murule, Ndogo, Nubiar, Nuer, Nyambara, Nyangwana, Oduk, Ogoni, Oromo, Pojulu, Rafica, Ruel, Rwanda, Shilluk, Sholuk, Toknath, Toposa, Urdu, Wolof or Senegal, Zande.

 Asian: Armenian, Azeri or Azerbaijan, Bangla, Bhutanese, Cambodian, Cantonese, Filipino, Gujarati, Hayaren of Armenia, Kazakh, Khmer, Lao, Lergdie, Nepali, Oriya, Pashtu, Telugu.

 Central and South American: Kiche, Mam, Mayan.

 North American: Ojibwe or Chippawa, Dakota, Nakota, Navajo, Omaha, Ponca, Winnebago.

Note: Translations donated are for the purposes of a community event, and will not be published in print or on the Internet. The author retains all rights: use is strictly joyful and informal.