Self-Translation in Transcultural Mode: Francesca Duranti on how to Put ‘a Scent of Basil’ into One’s Translations

“Who but he... had ever felt what these words expressed?–these words that thundered and howled through his mind translating himself to himself, with such appalling fitness” (Amélie Louise Rives) Francesca Duranti is a creative writer who grew up with several languages and spent much time abroad. Her mother tongue is German but she writes mainly in Italian and translates mostly from French and English. Her particular transcultural sensibility runs through her body of work but is mostly manifest in her novel Sogni mancini (1996), the story of an Italian academic woman living in New York obsessed with the idea of finding a way to get rid of fixed identities and monological perspectives. Subsequently, Duranti decided to self-translate this novel into English, publishing it with the title Left-handed Dreams (2000). What were her reasons for self- translating this book, what self-translation strategies did she adopt, what did she gain and what did she lose in the process of mediating between two cultures and how did readers receive her target text? In this in-depth interview with Arianna Dagnino, Duranti reveals to what extent her acquired transcultural identity affected not only her way of writing but also of self-translating. As a coda to the interview and in light of what emerges from the writer’s answers, Dagnino analyzes Duranti’s self-translation, looking for those elements that mostly reveal the transcultural identity of a writer who decided to translate herself to herself. The article includes introductory paragraphs on the theory of the transcultural and transcultural identities (Dagnino 2015, Epstein 2009, Welsch 2009) as well as on the most recent studies in the field of literary self-translation (Grosjean 2010, Grutman 2016, Saidero 2011).

Contemporary women public intellectuals: the United States (1)

This chapter assesses three high-profile women public intellectuals in the US: Condoleezza Rice, Samantha Power, and Susan Rice. All of these three women public intellectuals are significant role models for women wanting to move from academic positions into different administrations. While the contribution and legacy of Condoleezza Rice is a mixed one, no one can detract from her contribution and achievements as an African-American academic woman and public intellectual. Condoleezza Rice can take credit for a number of policy successes, including the restoration of full diplomatic relations with Libya and progress in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. Meanwhile, one of the most interesting aspects of Power's career is the contrast between her ardour as an activist and her duties as an adviser. Finally, Susan Rice was highly effective in her role as national security adviser and oversaw the coordination of intelligence and military efforts during a period that was marked by an escalation of the battle against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in the Middle East, the crisis in Syria, and increased aggression from Russia.

The Role and Everyday Life Experiences of Latin American Female Researchers in Academia

I wrote this essay a year before the current context of feminist student strike in Chile. A year ago, it was a time in which there was silence and fear. I understood the natural tendency of living with the different ways of gender violence that is normalized and taken for granted. In a society which is dominated by male power, and where we could find shelter in what the North defines as Resistance voices, this text arises from inquiries and contradictions that I, as a academic woman from northern Chile have lived, in socio-critical qualitative inquiry, paradigmatically moving from the analysis of qualitative data assisted by computers, to interpretive [auto]ethnography.

Critical Incidents in the Lives of Gifted Female Finnish Scientists

This study investigated the critical incidents in the professional and personal lives of gifted female scientists in Finnish society. Finland represents a European country where gender equity has been widely acknowledged. The data include 11 life stories of female Finnish scientists from diverse fields of science. All participants have been able to actualize their academic talents and build their careers successfully. This qualitative, multiple-case study utilizes the critical incident method in the data analysis process. The results show that all these women have made important life choices that have promoted their talent and career development. These choices include important decisions concerning work, family, and beliefs and values. The majority of the women have also made some compromises related to their scientific interests and careers, as well as personal compromises. The results of the analyses demonstrate some common themes in critical incidents among female scientists. However, no picture of a uniform academic woman was found. All of the gifted female scientists were different in their multiple roles and identities. Our study also reveals some issues related to country and society that need to be acknowledged in tracing how women actualize their talent.