You Tell The Ugly Parts, Too

I sat with Israeli-American literary translator and writer Yardenne Greenspan in Tel Aviv this past July. I’d fallen in love with her translation of Yishay Ishi Ron’s novel “Dog” while preparing for my conversation with Ishi (which was featured in last week's episode), Yardenne was born and raised in Israel and has lived and worked in the US for the past 16 years. She translates novels, short stories, and plays by Israeli writers from across the country’s religious and ethnic spectrum. After October 7, she took on whatever came her way, often pro bono. That included parts of Kibbutz Be’eri’s memorial website, survivor testimonies, a memoir by a Nova survivor, and the civil commission’s report on kinocide, led by Dr. Cochav Elkayam-Levy. We talked about craft, particularly translating “Dog” during a moment when every word about the IDF is being weaponized. She spoke so beautifully about what she's been living as a Jew outside Israel—a Jew at a remove—that at moments it felt like she was giving voice to my own thoughts. This is a very special conversation.