HISPANOPHILE
D. P. SNYDER
hĭ-spănə-fīl
Definition: one partial to the Spanish language and Hispanic culture or civilization.
I fell in love with the Spanish language, first in Mexico and then in New York City, living and working on the Lower East Side of Manhattan (Loisaida), The Bronx, the Upper West Side, West Harlem, and Washington Heights.
In the 90s, I was the administrator of The Latin American Workshop, non-profit arts and education organization, where I ran the Spanish language school and collaborated with artists from all over “Lamérica” to fulfill our mission “to join North and South on the common ground of culture”. There, I co-produced over 300 crossover concerts featuring such artists as Philip Glass (USA), Tico Da Costa (Brazil), Pete Seeger USA), León Gieco (Argentina), David Byrne (USA), and Luis “El Terror” Díaz (Dominican Republic), among many others, as well as many literary events and art exhibitions. As a teacher, I specialized in basic Spanish for healthcare workers and taught in hospitals and medical schools throughout the New York metropolitan area.
I have always loved to sing and I’ve had the privilege of sharing stages with musicians such as Papo Gely (Puerto Rico), Tico Da Costa (Brazil), Aaron Gilmartin (USA), Lucía Pulido (Colombia), and Phoenix Rivera (Dominican-American), among others. Music, and Latin music in particular, continues to be the foundation and inspiration of my literary work.
As a literary translator, I focus on Mexico, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Spain, and Colombia. My priority is to translate fiction and criticism by women and narratives that interrogate contemporary social issues.
I am driven by the love of great literature and a desire to share important stories across borders.
