Letter from the Editor


It’s hard to believe more than a year has passed since I started working as Editor of Alchemy. One of the most important goals when I took on this role was to continue the legacy of the journal. Namely, to grow as a venue for student writers to publish rigorous literary translations, to provide readers with a space where they could find fiction and poetry from around the world, to open a window. And now that I’m coming to the end of this period, it’s with a certain level of pride and sadness that I write my last letter as Editor.

But let me first tell you what we have in store for Issue 5. We have Leah House presenting her translations of contemporary Chinese poet Wu Ang. Ming Holden offers her renditions of Juan Soros’ poetry, the pseudonym Chilean writer Edmundo Condon used for his second book of poems. Kristina Helena Reardon presents her translations of awarded Slovenian fiction writer Lili Potpara. And our cover art showcases Eve Survillo’s work, a Bay-Area-to-Brooklyn transplant currently studying art at NYU.

Also in Issue 5, Jennifer Croft shares with the readers of Alchemy some of the results of her ongoing collaboration with Lucas Mertehikian, one of Argentina’s most interesting younger writers. And we always like to receive international submissions; this time around we have Charlotte Yiu, from the University of Hong Kong, presenting her translation of “The Drunkard” by Liu Yi-Chang. And rounding out Issue 5 we have Claudio Sansone from Trinity College, Dublin, who offers two poems from Boris Vian and one from Pedro Salinas.

I would like to take a moment to extend my gratitude to Alchemy’s Editorial Staff. It has been a pleasure to work alongside Bella Brody, Monica Yimeng Geng, Adrianna Wu, Tipkretar Sirisarnsombat, and Jacob Valadez. And it would be impossible not to mention Mika Kennedy’s immense contribution to the growth of the project. This journal would not be possible without the commitment and perseverance of the Alchemy team.

Finally, I would like to thank Prof. Amelia Glaser, creator of the Alchemy project, for her ongoing support and patience. I would also like to extend my gratitude to the Faculty Advisory Board and the Literature Department at UCSD, as well as to all of our contributors during the last year. It takes a whole community of people devoted to literary translation to inject life into a student journal. I’m happy to have been a part of the process.

And now, a new period. Entering Editors Paola Capó-García and Pepe Rojo come with exciting and innovative ideas, and are already working on Issue 6. I can’t wait to see the results. The future looks good. Our window is still here.

Welcome to Issue 5.

Jose Antonio Villarán, Editor