Jenna Tang

Instructor & Writer
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Jenna Tang is a literary translator based in New York. She translates from Chinese, French and Spanish. She received her MFA in Creative Writing from The New School. Her translations and essays are published in Restless Books, Latin American Literature Today, AAWW, McSweeney's, Catapult and elsewhere. Her interviews are at World Literature Today and Words Without Borders. She is a selected translator for the 2021 ALTA Emerging Translators Mentorship with a focus on Taiwanese prose.

Classes

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Stories

Cover Photo: This photograph shows a line of hikers climbing up a ridge as the sky begins to darken in color, as if the sun has just set.
Reimagining Language and Our Own Stories

How can we write about language in a way that feels meaningful? Try out this prompt from instructor Jenna Tang to use language as a lens through which to tell stories.

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Jenna Tang
Jan 25, 2023
Don’t Write Alone | Free Write
Cover Photo: This photograph shows the curving roof of an ornate, bright red temple against a black sky. You can tell this temple is in a city, as in the lower right corner you can see a few multistory buildings next door to it.
Translating Against Cultural Stereotypes

As creative writers, we have the right to ask our readers to focus on what the “real story” is. Try out this writing exercise from Jenna Tang to practice avoiding cultural stereotypes.

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Jenna Tang
Dec 21, 2022
Don’t Write Alone | Free Write
Cover Photo: This photograph shows a stick of incense emerging from the left hand side of the picture. Blue smoke swirls upward from its tip against a black background.
Why We Should Translate Literature About Trauma

Translating trauma and violence is not just about deciphering pain but also about recreating an emotional language that helps us to understand each other better.

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Jenna Tang
Dec 16, 2021
Don’t Write Alone | Notes On Craft
Cover Photo: This photograph shows palm trees rising up out of a dense gray fog. In the background, we can see the top of a mountain rising above the fog.
Loss, Uncertainty, and Love Brought Me to Literary Translation

I often think about translation as a standalone language—without it, we all become our own islands, floating on a vast ocean without ever coming across each other.

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Jenna Tang
Sep 13, 2021
Don’t Write Alone | Writing Life