Alex Zucker
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Alex Zucker is an American translator of Czech literature. Born in New Jersey, he lived in East Lansing, Michigan, from the age of 4 to 17. He attended college at UMass-Amherst (1982-86), obtaining a Bachelor of Science in Zoology. 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 time in Prague (1990-95) he worked as editor/translator for the English-language section of ČTK (the Czech News Agency), copy editor/translator for the English-language newspaper Prognosis, and freelance translator for Czech- and English-language cultural reviews and litmags, including Raut, Trafika, Yazzyk, and Zlatý řez.
His translations from Czech include:
- Jáchym Topol: City Sister Silver, Catbird Press 2000 [1]
- Miloslava Holubová, translated by Alex Zucker with L. Coffin and Zdenka Brodská: More Than One Life, Hydra Books/Northwestern University Press 1999
- Petra Hůlová: All This Belongs to Me (in Czech, Paměť mojí babičce), forthcoming from Northwestern University Press.
- Lyrics and translation of Zuzana Justman's adaptation of The Unlucky Man in the Yellow Cap [2], directed by Marcy Arlin. Other lyrics by Peter Fish (also music), Zuzana Justman, and J.R. Pick (1925–1983, author of the drama, original title Smolař ve žluté čepici ).
He has also translated lyrics by the Czech rock group Psí vojáci (Dog Soldiers) [1], a Communist-era underground band led by writer Jáchym Topol's younger brother, Filip.
While living in Brooklyn from 1995 to 2006, he taught Czech at the NYU School of Continuing and Professional Studies and copyedited for the magazines Swing, Condé Nast Traveler, Interview, and Vanity Fair, as well as the Aperture publishing house and the literary review Bookforum.
Although currently in remission, his blog Stickfinger [3] – 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.
[edit] References
- ^ Neil Bermel: Velvet Evolution, NYT review of City Sister Silver, March 4, 2001
- ^ website of The Unlucky Man in the Yellow Cap performed at the FringeNYC festival, August 2006
- ^ stickfinger.blogspot.com – Stickfinger, Alex Zucker's blog
