Shepherds of the Unknown
Mark’s exchange in Poland served, in many ways, as a new beginning. He had been studying poetry and teaching for years before his exchange, but it was during his Fulbright that he harnessed his love for poetry, specifically to begin work in the translation of written Polish works.
In Poland, Mark was a Senior Lecturer in American Literature and Culture at the University of Lódz, where he dove into the country’s history. It was the first time that he had lived in a new country for more than a month.
The experience was so transformative that he decided to remain in Poland long after the program ended – it helped too that Mark met his wife, who also was a translator, at this time. With a network of close family and colleagues nearby, Mark had the support he needed and set out to immerse himself in poetry, exploring its ability to bridge and connect people and cultures.
Mark says his interest in international affairs can be traced back to his family’s Polish heritage and his grandfather, who fought in World War II and was fluent in seven languages. Growing up in Chicago, Mark’s grandfather instilled in Mark an interest in global affairs at a young age.
“The beauty of literature and languages is that it affords you the opportunity to travel in the widest sense of the term,” Mark, who earned his Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in creative writing from Brown University, says. “You can travel to different places, cultures, timeframes, and to experiences you could never possibly imagine.”
Mark’s efforts have resulted in the publication of a number of collections, including Part First—Chopin’s Feet, Airport Music, as well as the full length collections Euclid Shudders and Airport Music.
His most recent translated work, Variants of Catching Breath, encapsulates the work of five different Polish poets. His aim for the collection is to encourage Polish readers to become familiar with diverse voices in American literature, and for American authors to become acquainted with Polish counterparts. In doing so, he hopes to support the sharing of literary and social points of view as well as challenges facing translators in their work.
“Translators are shepherds of the unknown in some ways, and there’s something beautiful and mysterious about that,” Mark says.
Mark also applied for and won a Citizen Diplomacy Action Fund (CDAF) grant to support his project of translating Polish works and helping to promote Polish-American relations through poetry. In addition, the project seeks to encourage more women to get involved in publishing, a space where there are fewer women in the industry in Poland. Tardi’s project has helped to shape and spark interest from younger students as they set out to pursue careers in media and journalism.
“Life is full of surprises, and many of them are good,” Mark says.
