Russian Life, in collaboration with the Russian Arts Foundation, Vera Hospice Fund, and the Galina Dursthoff Literary Agency, has published Life Stories, a short story collection of works by nineteen of Russia’s most acclaimed contemporary authors, translated by fourteen prominent American and British translators, including AATIA member Marian Schwartz, who translated "The Storm," by Leonid Yuzefovich, for the anthology.

“This is a truly non-profit collaboration between cultures,” said Publisher Paul E. Richardson. “Russian authors have donated their works, American translators, designers and editors all worked pro bono, and books will be sold worldwide directly to consumers, using the power of the internet and digital publishing to ensure that the maximum return gets back to Vera Hospice Fund. Readers will receive some truly great works of modern Russian literature and at the same time help provide end-of-life care for countless fellow human beings.”

100 percent of the profits from book sales will be donated to the Vera Hospice Fund, a Russian not-for-profit enterprise dedicated to supporting hospice care. Click here to purchase Life Stories.

We have two great events on the calendar!

The next membership meeting – Saturday, September 12 – will feature a Web 2.0 Technology presentation by Jorge Ungo (*see below).

And there’ll be a special celebration for International Translators & Interpreters Day, scheduled for late September/early October.

Watch this blog for more details on both these excellent opportunities for translators and interpreters!

* Recognition for the healthcare interpreting profession is on the rise, as is the need for skilled interpreters. With training resources usually tailored for the more commonly encountered languages, some interpreters may feel isolated and lacking in language-specific training and resources. In the past decade, however, worldwide internet usage has grown by over 300%, and the new wave of Web 2.0 technology is providing interpreters with easy and cost-effective ways to create and share resources with colleagues all over the world. From wikis and blogs to social bookmarking – this presentation will demystify the world of 2.0 and will demonstrate how interpreters can use technology to connect with colleagues and share important tools and resources.

Jorge Ungo is the Southwest Region Manager for Pacific Interpreters – a nationwide leader in healthcare interpreting. In his regional manager role, Jorge consults with health and social service organizations throughout the Southwestern United States on how to design and implement cost-effective yet highly efficient language access programs. Prior to his work with Pacific Interpreters, Jorge was the director of an international interpreting program, responsible for business operations including sales and marketing, HR administration, operational logistics, and company-wide training. Jorge is President of the Texas Association of Healthcare Interpreters and Translators (TAHIT) and a board member and membership co-chair on the National Council on Interpreting in Healthcare (NCIHC). 
 

Award-winning poet, essayist, and literary translator Liliana Valenzuela, acclaimed for her translations into Spanish of works by Sandra Cisneros, among many others, has agreed to become the new Coordinator for AATIA’s Literary Special Interest Group, taking over from Russian literary translator Marian Schwartz.

Valenzuela, long active in the LitSIG, is looking forward to planning activities that encourage newcomers to literary translation and to promoting interaction with local arts organizations.

Watch this space for the fall meeting schedule and information about the first meeting of the season.

Join the Interpreters Special Interest Group on Saturday, August 8, for a live demonstration of an ACC interpreting class.

Participate in exercises for consecutive interpreting and sight translation and talk to current and former students about the course offerings.

When: Saturday, August 8, 1:00 - 4:00 PM
Where: International Center of Austin
201 East 2nd Street
Austin, TX 78701
Parking: Street parking available. (Garage closed for repairs this day.)

Contact: Esther Diaz mediaz@austin.rr.com

On Friday and Saturday evening, July 24th and 25th, at 7:30PM, the Austin Classical Guitar Society will present a concert featuring two of Austin’s favorite musicians Douglas Harvey (cellist, ASO) and Liz Cass (mezzo-soprano, ALO) alongside of a Naumburg prizewinning Peruvian virtuoso guitarist Jorge Caballero and New York City-based violinist Maria Conti. These fine musicians will collaborate to perform music ranging from Bach to Piazzolla at Austin ’s gorgeous Mexican American Cultural Center on Lady Bird Lake .

ACGS would like to offer AATIA members $15 tickets to the show! Normal ticket prices range from $25-$50. To redeem this offer, please call the ACGS office at 512-300-2247 by Thursday, July 23rd at 4PM. For a preview of Jorge Caballero’s masterful playing, please tune in to his live performance at 7:50AM on Fox 7 Morning News on Tuesday, July 21st.

AATIA is seeking active members to run for all positions on its 2010 Board of Directors ("associate" members are not eligible). Nominees must be in good standing (dues current as of July 1, 2009). Elections take place in October and are announced in November. The term is for one full year, from January 1 through December 31, 2010.

The AATIA Board of Directors consists of six members:

• President
• Secretary
• Communications
• Finance
• Membership
• Professional Development

If you are interested in running for office, or would like to nominate someone else, please contact a Nominating Committee member by August 28, 2009: AATIA Nominating Committee: Marian Schwartz, Chair, 512/442-5100, schwartzm@sbcglobal.net Laura Vlasman, 512/891-9207, lvlasman@earthlink.net, Anna Hovenden, 512/590-3822 ahovenden@yahoo.com

The excellence of AATIA is a result of strong and continuing member participation, particularly by its many excellent Board members over the years. As AATIA leaders, Board members not only make a contribution to their profession but gain knowledge and experience in the fields of translation and interpretation and are given countless opportunities to network and develop lasting relationships with other professionals.

Linguistic technologies are taking giant steps in the translation industry. You can stay ahead of the game by participating in our hands-on presentation on Memo Q, an innovative translation memory tool. The presentation will be made by Dr. Mark Ritter, Chief Language Officer at McElroy Translation.

Download a trial version from http://en.kilgray.com/?q=node/download to inspect its many features and learn how to use it at our next meeting.

Come for the presentation, then stay to enjoy delicious refreshments while meeting up with fellow translators and interpreters for an afternoon of information and great networking at our downtown space at the ICA premises on Saturday, July 11th, from 1 to 4 pm (check www.aatia.net for the address and directions.)

Free parking is available at the Convention Center parking garage, which is on the west side of the building that houses our offices. Enter from Brazos Street, inform the attendant that you are attending an AATIA event, and sign a garage parking record sheet. There is no charge.

See you then!

AATIA will offer a workshop for court interpreters on September 19th. This 8-hour workshop is aimed at practicing court interpreters and will enable those licensed by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) to fulfill their annual continuing education requirement. Details will be posted in August.