Alex Zucker
Encyclopedia
Alex Zucker is an American literary
translator
.
. From ages 4 to 17, he lived in East Lansing, Michigan
. He attended college at UMass Amherst, obtaining a Bachelor of Science
in Zoology
in 1986. In 1990, he received a master's in international affairs from the School of International and Public Affairs
at Columbia University, with a certificate from the Institute on East Central Europe.
During his years in Prague
(1990–95), he worked as editor-translator for the English-language section of the Czech News Agency
, copy editor–translator for the English-language newspaper Prognosis, and freelance translator for a variety of Czech- and English-language cultural reviews and litmags, including Raut, Trafika, Yazzyk, and Zlatý řez.
While living in Greenpoint, Brooklyn
(1996 to present), he has copyedited for Swing, Condé Nast Traveler
, Interview magazine, and Vanity Fair magazine, as well as for Aperture publishing house and Bookforum
.
Zucker also taught Czech from 2002 to 2004 at the NYU
School of Continuing and Professional Studies.
Though currently in remission, his blog StickFinger — in Czech StrčPrst, from the tongue-twister
Strč prst skrz krk ("Stick finger through throat") — focused variously on humanitarian aid
to Iraq
in the early days of the war, U.S. foreign policy, Arab
and Muslim
civil rights
within the U.S., literature
, language
, translation
, and life and how to live it.
Zucker won the 2010 National Translation Award
for his translation of Petra Hůlová
's All This Belongs to Me.
Zucker has also translated lyrics by Filip Topol
, leader of the Czech rock group Psí vojáci (Dog Soldiers
).
Literature
Literature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...
translator
Translation
Translation is the communication of the meaning of a source-language text by means of an equivalent target-language text. Whereas interpreting undoubtedly antedates writing, translation began only after the appearance of written literature; there exist partial translations of the Sumerian Epic of...
.
Life and career
Zucker was born in New Brunswick, New JerseyNew Brunswick, New Jersey
New Brunswick is a city in Middlesex County, New Jersey, USA. It is the county seat and the home of Rutgers University. The city is located on the Northeast Corridor rail line, southwest of Manhattan, on the southern bank of the Raritan River. At the 2010 United States Census, the population of...
. From ages 4 to 17, he lived in East Lansing, Michigan
East Lansing, Michigan
East Lansing is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located directly east of Lansing, Michigan, the state's capital. Most of the city is within Ingham County, though a small portion lies in Clinton County. The population was 48,579 at the time of the 2010 census, an increase from...
. He attended college at UMass Amherst, obtaining a Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
in Zoology
Zoology
Zoology |zoölogy]]), is the branch of biology that relates to the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinct...
in 1986. In 1990, he received a master's in international affairs from the School of International and Public Affairs
School of International and Public Affairs
The School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University is one of the most prestigious graduate schools of public policy in the world. Located on Columbia's Morningside Heights campus in the Borough of Manhattan, in New York City, the School has 15,000 graduates in more than 150...
at Columbia University, with a certificate from the Institute on East Central Europe.
During his years in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
(1990–95), he worked as editor-translator for the English-language section of the Czech News Agency
Czech News Agency
The Czech News Agency , abbreviated to ČTK, is a national "public law" news agency in the Czech Republic. It publishes in Czech, Slovak, and English....
, copy editor–translator for the English-language newspaper Prognosis, and freelance translator for a variety of Czech- and English-language cultural reviews and litmags, including Raut, Trafika, Yazzyk, and Zlatý řez.
While living in Greenpoint, Brooklyn
Greenpoint, Brooklyn
Greenpoint is the northernmost neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. It is bordered on the southwest by Williamsburg at the Bushwick inlet, on the southeast by the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway and East Williamsburg, on the north by Newtown Creek and Long Island City, Queens at the...
(1996 to present), he has copyedited for Swing, Condé Nast Traveler
Condé Nast Traveler
Condé Nast Traveler is a US magazine published by Condé Nast. It has its origins in a mailing sent out by the Diners Club club beginning in 1953, listing locations that would take the card. It began taking advertising in 1955. In order to attract more advertisers, it became a full-fledged magazine,...
, Interview magazine, and Vanity Fair magazine, as well as for Aperture publishing house and Bookforum
Bookforum
Bookforum is a New York-based magazine devoted to books and the discussion of literature. It is edited by Albert Mobilio, Chris Lehmann, , and Michael Miller.-History: Bookforum was launched in 1994 as a literary supplement to Artforum...
.
Zucker also taught Czech from 2002 to 2004 at the NYU
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
School of Continuing and Professional Studies.
Though currently in remission, his blog StickFinger — in Czech StrčPrst, from the tongue-twister
Tongue-twister
A tongue-twister is a phrase that is designed to be difficult to articulate properly, and can be used as a type of spoken word game. Some tongue-twisters produce results which are humorous when they are mispronounced, while others simply rely on the confusion and mistakes of the speaker for their...
Strč prst skrz krk ("Stick finger through throat") — focused variously on humanitarian aid
Humanitarian aid
Humanitarian aid is material or logistical assistance provided for humanitarian purposes, typically in response to humanitarian crises including natural disaster and man-made disaster. The primary objective of humanitarian aid is to save lives, alleviate suffering, and maintain human dignity...
to Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
in the early days of the war, U.S. foreign policy, Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
and Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
civil rights
Civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
within the U.S., literature
Literature
Literature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...
, language
Language
Language may refer either to the specifically human capacity for acquiring and using complex systems of communication, or to a specific instance of such a system of complex communication...
, translation
Translation
Translation is the communication of the meaning of a source-language text by means of an equivalent target-language text. Whereas interpreting undoubtedly antedates writing, translation began only after the appearance of written literature; there exist partial translations of the Sumerian Epic of...
, and life and how to live it.
Zucker won the 2010 National Translation Award
National Translation Award
The National Translation Award is an annual prize given by the American Literary Translators Association to an exceptional translation of a book-length work published in the preceding calendar year. As of 2010 the prize is worth $5,000...
for his translation of Petra Hůlová
Petra Hulová
Petra Hůlová is a Czech writer.-Education:Hůlová holds a degree in culturology from Charles University in Prague...
's All This Belongs to Me.
Selected translations
- The Opportune Moment, 1855, a novel by Patrik OuředníkPatrik OuředníkPatrik Ouředník is a Czech author and translator, living in France....
(Dalkey Archive PressDalkey Archive PressDalkey Archive Press is a publisher of fiction, poetry, and literary criticism in Illinois in the United States, specializing in the publication or republication of lesser known, often avant-garde works...
, 2011). - Case Closed, a novel by Patrik OuředníkPatrik OuředníkPatrik Ouředník is a Czech author and translator, living in France....
(Dalkey Archive PressDalkey Archive PressDalkey Archive Press is a publisher of fiction, poetry, and literary criticism in Illinois in the United States, specializing in the publication or republication of lesser known, often avant-garde works...
, 2010). - All This Belongs to Me, a novel by Petra HůlováPetra HulováPetra Hůlová is a Czech writer.-Education:Hůlová holds a degree in culturology from Charles University in Prague...
(Writings from an Unbound Europe, Northwestern University PressNorthwestern University PressNorthwestern University Press is the university press of Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, USA.- History :Northwestern University Press was founded in 1893, at first specializing in legal periodicals. Today, the Press publishes scholarly books of fiction, non-fiction, and literary...
, 2009). Winner of the 2010 National Translation AwardNational Translation AwardThe National Translation Award is an annual prize given by the American Literary Translators Association to an exceptional translation of a book-length work published in the preceding calendar year. As of 2010 the prize is worth $5,000...
. - Minach, a play by Iva Klestilová Volánková, in Czech Plays: Seven New Works, ed. Marcy Arlin, Gwynn MacDonald, and Dr. Daniel Gerould (Martin E. Segal Theatre Center, 2009).
- A Well-paid Walk, subtitles, Dobře placená procházka (1966), dir. Miloš FormanMiloš FormanJan Tomáš Forman , better known as Miloš Forman , is a Czech-American director, screenwriter, professor, and an emigrant from Czechoslovakia. Two of his films, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and Amadeus, are among the most celebrated in the history of film, both gaining him the Academy Award for...
, U.S. premiere, Milos Forman, A Retrospective, Museum of Modern ArtMuseum of Modern ArtThe Museum of Modern Art is an art museum in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, on 53rd Street, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It has been important in developing and collecting modernist art, and is often identified as the most influential museum of modern art in the world...
, February 14–28, 2008. - "The Game," by Ivan BlatnýIvan BlatnýIvan Blatný was a Czech poet, member of Skupina 42 .-Life:...
, in The Drug of Art: Selected poems of Ivan Blatný (Ugly Duckling PresseUgly Duckling PresseUgly Duckling Presse is an American nonprofit art and publishing collective based in Brooklyn, New York City that publishes small to mid-size runs of poetry, translations, lost works, and artist's books. It was founded in 1993 by Matvei Yankelevich as a college zine before expanding to publishing...
, 2007). - The Unlucky Man in the Yellow Cap, lyrics and translation of Zuzana JustmanZuzana JustmanZuzana Justman is a native of the former Czechoslovakia, which she left in 1948. A documentary filmmaker and writer, she now lives in New York, but she has filmed most of her documentaries in the country of her birth and other European countries.-Early life:Her brother was Jiří Robert Pick , Czech...
's adaptation of the original play with music by J. R. Pick, directed by Marcy Arlin. Other lyrics by Peter Fish (also music), Zuzana Justman, and J. R. Pick. - City Sister Silver, a novel by Jáchym TopolJáchym TopolJáchym Topol is a Czech writer.- Life :Jáchym Topol was born in Prague, Czechoslovakia, to Josef Topol, Czech playwright, poet, and translator of Shakespeare, and Jiřina Topolová, daughter of the famous Czech Catholic writer Karel Schulz.Topol's writing began with lyrics for the rock band Psí...
(Catbird Press, 2000). Selected for inclusion in the 2006 guide 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die is a literary reference book compiled by over one hundred literary critics worldwide and edited by Peter Boxall, Professor of English at Sussex University, with an introduction by Peter Ackroyd. Each title is accompanied by a brief synopsis and critique...
. - More Than One Life, a novel by Miloslava Holubová, translated with Lyn CoffinLyn CoffinLyn Coffin is an American poet, fiction writer, playwright, editor, and translator.-Biography:Coffin was born on Long Island, New York. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Michigan in 1965. She holds Master's degrees in English, TESL , and Social Work...
and Zdenka Brodská (Hydra Books, Northwestern University PressNorthwestern University PressNorthwestern University Press is the university press of Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, USA.- History :Northwestern University Press was founded in 1893, at first specializing in legal periodicals. Today, the Press publishes scholarly books of fiction, non-fiction, and literary...
, 1999). - "The Sightseers" by Michal VieweghMichal VieweghMichal Viewegh is one of the most popular contemporary Czech writers and the bestselling one. He writes about romantic relationships of his contemporaries with humour, and variously successful irony and attempts at deeper meaningfulness; he is sometimes compared to Nick Hornby by his fans.His...
and "Sister" by Jáchym TopolJáchym TopolJáchym Topol is a Czech writer.- Life :Jáchym Topol was born in Prague, Czechoslovakia, to Josef Topol, Czech playwright, poet, and translator of Shakespeare, and Jiřina Topolová, daughter of the famous Czech Catholic writer Karel Schulz.Topol's writing began with lyrics for the rock band Psí...
, in Daylight in Nightclub Inferno: Czech Fiction From the Post-Kundera Generation, ed. Elena Lappin (Catbird Press, 1997). - "Kchony Sees the World" by Ladislav FuksLadislav FuksLadislav Fuks was a Czech novelist. He focused mainly on psychological novels, portraying the despair and suffering of people under German occupation of Czechoslovakia....
, "Honking Horns" by Jiří GrušaJirí GrušaJiří Gruša was a Czech poet, novelist, translator, diplomat and politician.-Biography:...
, and "A Trip to the Railway Station" by Jáchym TopolJáchym TopolJáchym Topol is a Czech writer.- Life :Jáchym Topol was born in Prague, Czechoslovakia, to Josef Topol, Czech playwright, poet, and translator of Shakespeare, and Jiřina Topolová, daughter of the famous Czech Catholic writer Karel Schulz.Topol's writing began with lyrics for the rock band Psí...
, in This Side of Reality: Modern Czech Writing, ed. Alexandra Büchler (Serpent's Tail, 1996). - "GM" by Gustav MeyrinkGustav MeyrinkGustav Meyrink was the pseudonym of Gustav Meyer, an Austrian author, storyteller, dramatist, translator, and banker, most famous for his novel The Golem.-Childhood:...
and "A Trip to the Train Station" by Jáchym TopolJáchym TopolJáchym Topol is a Czech writer.- Life :Jáchym Topol was born in Prague, Czechoslovakia, to Josef Topol, Czech playwright, poet, and translator of Shakespeare, and Jiřina Topolová, daughter of the famous Czech Catholic writer Karel Schulz.Topol's writing began with lyrics for the rock band Psí...
, in Prague: A Traveler's Literary Companion, ed. Paul WilsonPaul WilsonPaul Wilson may refer to:*F. Paul Wilson , American science fiction and horror author*R. Paul Wilson, sleight of hand expert*Paul Wilson , pitcher in Major League Baseball...
(Whereabouts Press, 1995). - A Trip to the Train Station, a novella by Jáchym TopolJáchym TopolJáchym Topol is a Czech writer.- Life :Jáchym Topol was born in Prague, Czechoslovakia, to Josef Topol, Czech playwright, poet, and translator of Shakespeare, and Jiřina Topolová, daughter of the famous Czech Catholic writer Karel Schulz.Topol's writing began with lyrics for the rock band Psí...
(PetrovPetrovPetrov or Petrova may refer to:People*Petrov *Vitaly Petrov F1 Driver.*Stanislav Petrov Soviet Army officer who possibly prevented a nuclear war.Places*4785 Petrov, an asteroid...
, 1995).
Zucker has also translated lyrics by Filip Topol
Filip Topol
Filip Topol is a Czech singer, songwriter, and pianist.He is the younger brother of Jáchym Topol, the son of Josef Topol, and the grandson of Karel Schulz....
, leader of the Czech rock group Psí vojáci (Dog Soldiers
Dog Soldiers
Dog Soldiers is a 2002 British horror film written and directed by Neil Marshall, and starring Kevin McKidd, Sean Pertwee and Liam Cunningham. It was a British production, set in the highlands of Scotland, and filmed almost entirely in Luxembourg....
).