September 1, 2024

Reciprocal.

A month ago, at The Hermitage Artist Retreat in Florida, Mónica Lavín and I translated each other. I translated sample chapters from her novel Yo, la peor about the life of Sor Juana, and she translated my short story “Smile.” We are deeply grateful to our friends at the Hermitage for the rare opportunity they gave us to spend eleven days working together on the shores of the Gulf of Mexico.

“Smile” was born because I told the story’s outlines in a few sentences to my Hillsborough neighbor, Jill McCorkle, at her Christmas party a couple of years ago, and she said, “Dorothy, you have to write that story!” So, I did. If Jill tells you to write the story, you write the story!

Yesterday, “Smile” appeared in Mónica’s beautiful Spanish version, “Sonríe,” in El Universal’s Sunday literary supplement Confabulario in Mexico City. On paper, no less! You can read it online: Click the button below.

Much of the writer’s life is spent alone with the page and her pen. However, just as a tree is a collaboration of earth, wind, rain, and sun, so is a writer’s work, the outcome of all the people, books, experiences, and moments of grace she lives. Thank you, Mónica, for taking my characters Eve, Holly, and Jane to your heart and dressing them in your magical words.

Nos apoyamos, nos traducimos, nos comprendemos. We support, translate, and understand each other.