aliclair

I am always rediscovering Sta Teresa. She is the first of so many things in so many ways - first woman Doctor of the Church, first reformer of the Carmelite order, first woman to found an order of men, first "modern" (i.e. post-Inquistion) western mystic ... -, and each time I reread her, it's like the first time all over again, at a new depth and with a new dimension. I was wary about this translation because the introduction is, well, froofy and kinda new-age in a way that peeves me. In my ideal world, the translator is NOT an "I" presence in the work who tells you about her swami boyfriend-slash-guru or peppers her sentences with "I love this so much." I prefer a transparent translator, like an overlay that enhances and makes the translated text visible for my new reading. But in all fairness, Mirabai Starr's translation work of Sta Teresa's autobiography does precisely this - and she even brings up the subject of letting go of her "her-ness" in the introduction. You just have to wade through a lot of inclusive jargon that borders on post-modern hippiedom, in order to get to the searing glory of Sta Teresa's words, which have clearly inspired and transfigured Starr's. I have to pace myself because the book is like molten gold or very fine champagne. I don't want it to go to my head all at once. With a one-chapter-per-day limit, I am both eagerly devouring and luxuriantly savoring the timeless words. Gracias, Teresa.

2022-11-14 14:03