rain or shine, it's getting colder. so bring on the wool, and bring it on in layers. (unfortunately, my slanket loses most of its function when i'm not reposed.) we're not quite to the point of needing gloves and scarves, but "need" is complicated, and a sad resignation in this case, because if they didn't mean potentially overheating before the end of a ride, the accessories would be on as soon as the calendar permitted.
the cold. even if i can't pull myself out of bed in the morning for a longer ride before work, i can use my regret to fuel my anticipation of an evening ride. bike lane traffic thins out this time of year, which, combined with the leaves changing (be careful, they're slippery) and my rush to squeeze what riding i can into what's left of the dry and the light, makes it an ideal season for setting out at rush hour. there's still some sun left.
the sad twist. bike lane traffic thins this time of year, but the bike lanes have been crowded the past several days. something's afoot in the city of pedal power. i hate squirrels, especially as a road hazard, but has anyone else noticed that they're dead in the streets left and right lately? the crows got to the fresh ones before the weekend rain -- make sure to save a cringe for when i remind you that a rain soaked dead squirrel looks like a washed up sewer rat and pigeon splice and is far uglier than any fuzzy, pink, picked at carcass -- but there were new ones on the road already last night. (there's that one dead pigeon in the bike lane on interstate, too, but she seems just to be an interesting red herring anomaly.)
has someone, someone who hates the squirrels even more than i do, finally cracked and just gone for the kill? is there a freedom hating motorist in our midst that resents the happy situation of we early fall cyclist? i've allowed my resentment (i really hate those conniving rat bastards) to be tempered by the massive scale of the carnage. it's bad. they're everywhere.
it was a relief then (the happy twist and a lesson in burying the lead) to get some good news from an article on how the frankfurt book fair has stimulated the production of new literary translations (from argentina, at least). argentina, this year's guest country of honor at frankfurt, originally planned to showcase itself by showcasing the likes of eva peron and diego maradona. argentine writers weren't happy. borges and cortazar may not be household names in most of the world, but this is, after all, a book fair.
luckily, criticism from the literary wing got the argentine government on track to a more, well, literary presence at frankfurt, one result of which was the establishment of "SUR," a SUBSIDY fund accessible to foreign publishers wanting to translate books from argentina. A SUBSIDY FUND FOR TRANSLATION. better known american authors don't seem to have the problems getting translated that writers outside this country do. bigger names in europe wouldn't seem to have to jump hurdles as high as in, say, anywhere that doesn't use the latin alphabet. by "seem" i mean that i don't really know in either case. selfishly, i don't try to know too much about what american authors get translated into what languages. in europe's case, however, i'm sure i'd be reading even more of its offers if more of their works were on offer. do we have a SUR equivalent here? is there one for the european union or any of its constituent countries?
SUR has been successful beyond all expectations. in its first months, the program gave three times as many grants as had been its goal for that period when it launched. someone from argentina said this:
"Now firmly convinced of the political importance of cultural representation abroad, the Argentine government has announced that the SUR program will continue to fund translations of Argentine literature long after the Frankfurt Book Fair has ended."
whoa. fill the pork barrels with books! i will read them. but since it's up to publishers to decide which works they want, argentina's translated oeuvre shouldn't be restricted by any best-face-forward political agenda (just, um, the literary market). from another argentine:
"I think it is wonderful, because they've not just gone for the big names; new writers are being published too. When you look at the works being translated, you see that four different generations are represented."
it suddenly occurs to me that the string of squirrel deaths might not be an accident. i suspect that the squirrel job market is frustrating glutted with overqualified young does and bucks looking to get a leg up. how long could you expect him to tolerate working the acorn line after he spent all those years learning how to find figs. it's sad. and just now, when things are starting to look up. seriously, people. your kids need to read.
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