In some ways, this is long overdue, but just in time for the final post of the year, here’s the complete collection of “articles” that I wrote this year for Three Percent. The initial plan was to do one a week, using a new translation as a launching pad to talk about international literature, publishing, and book culture, along with one extra post a month about current translation statistics.<\/p>\n
I didn’t exactly follow that plan, although there were\u00a0a lot\u00a0<\/em>of posts. (Thirty-seven to be exact.) Some are funny, some are catty, some are full-blown critiques, some are pathetic, some are kind of smart. Regardless, for both of you that read more than 60% of these\u2014I hope you enjoyed them all. I don’t think the tone and approach of these posts will die away completely, but I do have a lot of ideas for new things to write in 2019, so stay tuned . . .<\/p>\n In chronological order:<\/p>\n It\u2019s 2018 and Where Have the Translations Gone?<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n First attempt to compare 2018 translation numbers to years past with less than stellar results.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In Favor of Translator Afterwords<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n A call for more bad hot takes about books, such as my statement that the translator afterword to Tanizaki’s\u00a0In Black and White\u00a0<\/em>is better than the book itself.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n A Best-seller Should Be Divisive<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n One-star reviews of\u00a0The Perfect Nanny\u00a0<\/em>drive a general argument that the best best-sellers generate equal amounts of love and hate.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Best Sports Novels Match Sport and Style<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n First attempt of the year to write about a book I didn’t like in a way that’s entertaining. Come for the takedown of\u00a0Theory of Shadows\u00a0<\/em>and stay for the jokes about Boomer Esiason and Derek Jeter!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Never Fact-Check a Listicle<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Again, writing about a book I didn’t like (Frankenstein in Baghdad<\/em>) and to deflect, I blasted away at Lit Hub and BookMarks. Not a popular article with a lot of people, but I regret nothing! This site exists for spicy takes that question conventional wisdom.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Translation Industry Is Frozen<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n It really doesn’t seem like 2018 was a good year for translations. At least in terms of sheer numbers. Also, this title is an obvious reference to last year’s MLB Hot Stove period.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n An Imaginary Sabermetrics for Publishing<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n I think about 95% of these posts include a baseball reference. There’s even a Scott Boras quote in here. (WORTH THE PRICE OF THE CLICK.) Also, this post is one of my five favorite of the year. Mostly to write, but also to revisit.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Noble Expectations<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n I read a lot of books in 2018 that I didn’t much care for. At least I gave up on this particular book pretty early on.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Everyone Needs an Editor<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Another of my favorites, since it actually digs into a particular translation, using three versions (sample, galley, finished copy) to talk about the role of the editor.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Context Is Everything<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n All the charts are missing (lost in the transition to the new website), but this is a very nerdy attempt to quantify just how poorly literary translations sell when they’re not published by Penguin Random House. (And sometimes even when they are.)<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Pathways to Discovering the Obscure?<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n This is a more serious post about the ways in which we end up finding out (or not) about cult authors. The great writers who aren’t on year-end lists.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 9 Moments That Make \u201cTomb Song\u201d the Frontrunner for the National Book Award in Translation<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Man, I was really wrong with this one! Although I’ll stick to my belief in “pinche”\u00a0<\/em>over “friggin.”<\/p>\n <\/p>\n This Headline\u2019ll Make You MAD, MAD!<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Still don’t like\u00a0Trick<\/em>, still think the Will Self interview is fascinating.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Thinking Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ Book Reviews<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n When I came up with this idea of writing a dialogue about all the problems of reviewing books in translation, I mostly wanted to take the piss out of myself. I had already received a lot of “pushback” about the earlier 2018 articles and wanted to demonstrate that I got it, that my overall viewpoint is suspect and can be torn apart.\u00a0I’m not actually that grumpy this is all a game!\u00a0<\/em>I was more afraid that I would rely on this trick over and over again. Thank god I didn’t.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Death by Poetry and The Lies about Me<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n The poetry stats are interesting and all that, but scroll to the middle and watch Chad Post’s “Unlovable” video. YOU’RE WELCOME.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Spanish Literature Is Our Favorite Scene<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Rochester jokes never get old.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Poetry Presses and Radical Idea #1<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Every great idea on this website should be partially credited to ESPN writer (and Effectively Wild co-founder and former host) Sam Miller. Especially the “radical ideas” series.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n What if Writers Were Treated Like Soccer Players?<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Quite literally the best post of the year. And the one idea that I would\u00a0love\u00a0<\/em>to institute.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n May Is a Month of Grading<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Presumably a post about translation stats through the month of May, but really a chance to make jokes about jacket copy.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Crime in the Data<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n This breakdown became even more sophisticated by the end of the year. But this is the origin of the category breakdown. BONUS: More radical ideas for publishing!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 9 Comp Authors for Dag Solstad, Or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Embrace the Listicle<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n I kind of goofed on James Wood in this article, and, well, he ended up reading it. And liked it!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 9 Books Likely to Win the 2019 Best Translated Book Award<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Any guesses as to why I always use “9” in my dumb listicles?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Selection Bias, Best Translations, and Where Are the Women in Translation From?<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Lot of data on books by women in translation. And a couple of short reviews. Along with a little discussion of selection bias, which is a hobby horse that fuels a lot of the underlying critiques spouted here throughout the year.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n A Whole Lot of Blather<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Another post that made people angry! Includes a bit about nonprofits and the indie press All-Star team.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Very Pleasant Post<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Not actually super pleasant or positive, although there is a lot of good stuff about\u00a0Pretty Things\u00a0<\/em>to offset the other stuff . . . mostly.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Simple Pleasures of Reading<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n So much Sam Miller! And an attempt to explain why two unheralded (and one\u00a0uber-heralded<\/em>) books can take you back to the basics of why we enjoy reading.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Publishing Strategies of Rediscovery<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n I’m pretty sure that every person who has read Stig Dagerman has stumbled onto this post and emailed me about how great\u00a0Wedding Worries\u00a0<\/em>is. Which means that there are hundreds of you out there who need to go get this book.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Missed Opportunities (Here’s the NBA Translation Post I Promised)<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Another post in which I’m shitty.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n A Frozen Imagination<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n I can’t wait to go back to Iceland. And I can’t wait to do a Two Month Review<\/em> season on\u00a0CoDex 1962.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n It’s the Postseason! [Welcome to October]<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Big overview of translation statistics for 2018, which includes a bit of analysis about which months are most popular for publishing translations.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Icelandic Connection<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n One of the two posts that inspired most of the plan for Three Percent in 2019 . . . This kicked off a series of posts about Deep Vellum.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n My Struggle, Part I: Confusion and Value<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n One of the five best posts of the year. Mainly because it fully adopts the viewpoint of a\u00a0reader.\u00a0<\/em>Not a critic, publisher, bookseller, or translator. It was one of the most difficult to write, although I did go into a bit of fugue state and just let all of this come out.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n A Rat, a Labyrinth, “Ah Library TNT”?<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Deep Vellum and the Oulipo.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n My Struggle, Part II: The 60% Post<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n This joke will never, ever get old. (And lands about 60% of the time.)<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Fault in Our Numbers<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n More imaginary math couched around the question of what creates value.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n\n
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