Current Issue
We are excited to present this year’s issue of Sui Generis dedicated to the question of (un)translatability; the question that every person faces when learning, speaking and translating another language; the question that paralyzes and stimulates, frustrates and excites. Untranslatability is always in the background of the translation work, and this year we attempted to bring it forward and make visible the effort behind the finished product. For these purposes we encouraged our translators to reflect on their process in the notes to their submissions; we hope that you find it revealing and perhaps relatable. This issue is an experiment with the selection process aimed at deeper and more thoughtful approaches to submissions, which resulted in there being more multilingual and original pieces than usual. It is also an experiment with form. The following anthology of translations is not organized by the languages of the works: rather it attempts to find a throughline that pieces them together. The process of reading this issue is one of reflection and acceptance and appreciation of differences
Submission Guidelines
Submit polished translations of work that you’ve done in class or on your own from a foreign language into English. They can be short stories, poems, parts of essays, book excerpts, graphic novels, etc. Submissions should be no longer than 5 pages, unless the editors have previously approved it. We’re very open to various ideas and submissions, think outside the box! We want to represent Bard’s diversity in languages and cultures through students’ work.
Please cite the original text and attach a copy of it alongside your translation. If you think it is appropriate, attach a brief description of your work. For all Latin script languages, please submit your translation as a Word document; all non-Latin script languages, please submit your work as a pdf.
2024 Editorial Staff
A Brief History
Sui Generis first saw the light in 1997 as an initiative of the Foreign Languages, Cultures, and Literatures faculty at Bard. It has been published once every spring since that year, and has grown to accommodate the new languages that entered our curriculum, such as Arabic and Japanese. We chose the name Sui Generis—“of its own kind”—because we saw this as a unique sort of publication. Our primary goal was—and still is—to encourage students to produce original creative work in a foreign language, or to translate the work of other authors. This little magazine also offers language students new opportunities to work closely with our faculty and Foreign Language Exchange Tutors. Over the years Sui Generis has given increased visibility to Bard’s innovative language programs, and we are proud of all the dedication our student contributors and editors have shown.