Alex Zucker (born September 1, 1964) is an American

literary Literature is any collection of written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially prose fiction, drama, and poetry. In recent centuries, the definition has expanded to includ ...

translator Translation is the communication of the meaning of a source-language text by means of an equivalent target-language text. The English language draws a terminological distinction (which does not exist in every language) between ''transl ...

Life and career

Zucker was born in

New Brunswick, New Jersey New Brunswick is a city in and the seat of government of Middlesex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.East Lansing, Michigan East Lansing is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. Most of the city lies within Ingham County with a smaller portion extending north into Clinton County. At the 2020 Census the population was 47,741. Located directly east of the state capital ...

. He attended college at

University of Massachusetts Amherst The University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass Amherst, UMass) is a public research university in Amherst, Massachusetts and the sole public land-grant university in Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Founded in 1863 as an agricultural college, ...

, obtaining a

Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University o ...

Zoology Zoology ()The pronunciation of zoology as is usually regarded as nonstandard, though it is not uncommon. is the branch of biology that studies the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, an ...

in 1986. In 1990, he received a master's in international affairs from the

School of International and Public Affairs The School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University (SIPA) is the international affairs and public policy school of Columbia University, a private Ivy League university located in Morningside Heights, Manhattan, New York City. ...

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

, with a certificate from the Institute on East Central Europe. During his years in

Prague Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 million people. The city has a temperate ...

(1990–95), he worked as editor-translator for the English-language section of the Czech News Agency, copy editor–translator for the English-language newspaper ''Prognosis'',Alexander Zaitchik: "Let the Kazoos Sound: A Decade of English Press in Prague," ''Think'' magazine, no. 50, Nov/Dec 2001
/ref> and freelance translator for a variety of Czech and English-language cultural reviews and literary magazines, including ''Raut'', ''Trafika'', ''Yazzyk'', and ''Zlatý řez''. From 1996 to 2000, he copyedited for ''Swing'', ''

Condé Nast Traveler ''Condé Nast Traveler'' is a luxury and lifestyle travel magazine published by Condé Nast. The magazine has won 25 National Magazine Awards. The Condé Nast unit of Advance Publications purchased ''Signature'', a magazine for Diners Club mem ...

'',

Interview (magazine) ''Interview'' is an American magazine founded in late 1969 by artist Andy Warhol and British journalist John Wilcock. The magazine, nicknamed "The Crystal Ball of Pop", features interviews with celebrities, artists, musicians, and creative thin ...

, and

Vanity Fair (magazine) ''Vanity Fair'' is a monthly magazine of popular culture, fashion, and current affairs published by Condé Nast in the United States. The first version of ''Vanity Fair'' was published from 1913 to 1936. The imprint was revived in 1983 and cu ...

, as well as for Aperture publishing house and ''

Bookforum ''Bookforum'' is an American book review magazine devoted to books and the discussion of literature that was based in New York City, New York. The magazine was founded in 1994 and announced in December of 2022 it would cease publishing after 2 ...

''. From 2002 to 2004, Zucker taught Czech at the

NYU New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then-Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin. In 1832, the ...

School of Continuing and Professional Studies. In 2010, Zucker won the

National Translation Award The National Translation Award is awarded annually by the American Literary Translators Association for literary translators who have made an outstanding contribution to literature in English by masterfully recreating the artistic force of a book o ...

for his translation of Petra Hůlová's

début novel A debut novel is the first novel a novelist publishes. Debut novels are often the author's first opportunity to make an impact on the publishing industry, and thus the success or failure of a debut novel can affect the ability of the author to pu ...

of 2002, ''All This Belongs to Me''. In 2011, he received a Creative Writing Fellowship from the

National Endowment for the Arts The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal ...

to support his translation of the 1931 Czech classic '' Marketa Lazarová'', by

Vladislav Vančura Vladislav Vančura () (23 June 1891 in Háj ve Slezsku – 1 June 1942 in Prague) was an important Czech writer active in the 20th century, who was murdered by the Nazis. He was also active as a film director, playwright and screenwriter. Early ...

Selected translations

* ''The Opportune Moment, 1855'', a novel by

Patrik Ouředník Patrik Ouředník (in French sometimes known as Patrick; born 23 April 1957 in Prague) is a Czech author and translator, living in France. Ouředník spent his youth in Prague. In 1984 he emigrated to France, where he first worked as a chess con ...

( Dalkey Archive Press, 2011). * ''Case Closed'', a novel by

( Dalkey Archive Press, 2010). * ''All This Belongs to Me'', a novel by Petra Hůlová (Writings from an Unbound Europe,

Northwestern University Press Northwestern University Press is an American publishing house affiliated with Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. It publishes 70 new titles each year in the areas of continental philosophy, poetry, Slavic and German literary criticism ...

, 2009). Winner of the 2010

. * ''Minach'', a play by Iva Klestilová Volánková, in ''Czech Plays: Seven New Works'', ed. Marcy Arlin, Gwynn MacDonald, and Dr. Daniel Gerould (Martin E. Segal Theatre Center, 2009). * ''A Well-paid Walk'', subtitles, ''Dobře placená procházka'' (1966), dir.

Miloš Forman Jan Tomáš "Miloš" Forman (; ; 18 February 1932 – 13 April 2018) was a Czech and American film director, screenwriter, actor, and professor who rose to fame in his native Czechoslovakia before emigrating to the United States in 1968. Forman ...

, U.S. premiere, ''Milos Forman, A Retrospective'',

Museum of Modern Art The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It plays a major role in developing and collecting modern art, and is often identified as one of t ...

, February 14–28, 2008. * "The Game," by

Ivan Blatný Ivan Blatný (; 21 December 1919 in Brno, Czechoslovakia – 5 August 1990 in Colchester, United Kingdom) was a Czech poet and a member of '' Skupina 42 (Group 42). Life Blatný, the son of the writer Lev Blatný, was a member of the ''Skupina 42' ...

, in ''The Drug of Art: Selected poems of Ivan Blatný'' ( Ugly Duckling Presse, 2007). * ''The Unlucky Man in the Yellow Cap'', lyrics and translation of Zuzana Justman's adaptation of the original play with music by J. R. Pick, directed by Marcy Arlin. Other lyrics by Peter Fish (also music), Zuzana Justman, and J. R. Pick. * '' City Sister Silver'', a novel by

Jáchym Topol Jáchym Topol (born 4 August 1962) is a Czech poet, novelist, musician and journalist who became a laureate of the Czech State Award for Literature in October 2017 for his novel ''Sensitive Man''. Life Jáchym Topol was born in Prague, Czech ...

( Catbird Press, 2000). Selected for inclusion in the 2006 guide ''

1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die ''1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die'' is a literary reference book compiled by over one hundred literary critics worldwide and edited by Peter Boxall, Professor of English at Sussex University, with an introduction by Peter Ackroyd. Each ti ...

''. * ''More Than One Life'', a novel by Miloslava Holubová, translated with Lyn Coffin and Zdenka Brodská (Hydra Books,

, 1999). * "The Sightseers" by

Michal Viewegh Michal Viewegh is one of the most popular contemporary Czechs, Czech writers. He is the most published Czech author of all time, with over a million books sold. In 1993 he earned the prestigious Jiří Orten Award, Jiří Orten award for Czech w ...

and "Sister" by

, in ''Daylight in Nightclub Inferno: Czech Fiction From the Post-Kundera Generation'', ed. Elena Lappin (Catbird Press, 1997). * "Kchony Sees the World" by

Ladislav Fuks Ladislav Fuks (September 24, 1923 in Prague – August 19, 1994 in Prague) was a Czech language, Czech novelist. He focused mainly on psychological novels, portraying the despair and suffering of people under German occupation of Czechoslovakia. F ...

, "Honking Horns" by

Jiří Gruša Jiří Gruša (10 November 1938, in Pardubice – 28 October 2011, in Bad Oeynhausen) was a Czech poet, novelist, translator, diplomat and politician.Jáchym Topol Jáchym Topol (born 4 August 1962) is a Czech poet, novelist, musician and journalist who became a laureate of the Czech State Award for Literature in October 2017 for his novel ''Sensitive Man''. Life Jáchym Topol was born in Prague, Czech ...

, in ''This Side of Reality: Modern Czech Writing'', ed. Alexandra Büchler (Serpent's Tail, 1996). * "GM" by

Gustav Meyrink Gustav Meyrink (19 January 1868 – 4 December 1932) was the pseudonym of Gustav Meyer, an Austrian author, novelist, dramatist, translator, and banker, most famous for his novel '' The Golem''. He has been described as the "most respected Germa ...

and "A Trip to the Train Station" by

, in ''Prague: A Traveler's Literary Companion'', ed. Paul Wilson (Whereabouts Press, 1995). * ''A Trip to the Train Station'', a novella by

( Petrov, 1995). Zucker has also translated lyrics by

Filip Topol Filip Topol (12 June 1965 – 19 June 2013) was a Czech singer, songwriter, pianist and writer. He was best known as leader of the alternative rock band Psí vojáci (''Dog Soldiers''), but he also performed as a solo artist. Topol was the younge ...

, leader of the Czech rock group Psí vojáci (

Dog Soldiers The Dog Soldiers or Dog Men (Cheyenne: ''Hotamétaneo'o'') are historically one of six Cheyenne military societies. Beginning in the late 1830s, this society evolved into a separate, militaristic band that played a dominant role in Cheyenne res ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Zucker, Alex American translators Translators from Czech Living people 1964 births University of Massachusetts Amherst College of Natural Sciences alumni School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University alumni