Shapiro Translates <em>Fables in a Modern Key</em>

Norman Shapiro, professor of French, is the translator of Fables in a Modern Key (Fables dan l'air du Temps), published by Black Widow Press in 2015. Fables was written by by Pierre Coran (whose real name is Eugene Delaisse), a poet and novelist of the Belgian French-language. One of Begium's most renowned poets with some 45 poetry books published to date, he also is the author of 25 published novels, 24 books of fables, hundreds of comic book stories, and several albums which have been translated into more than a dozen languages. His children's stories and fables are published around…

Academic Affairs has named Norman Shapiro, professor of romance languages, as the university’s Distinguished Literary Translator. Shapiro is one of the country’s leading contemporary translators of French. He holds a BA, MA and Ph.D. from Harvard University, and, as Fulbright scholar, the Diplôme de Langue et Lettres Françaises from the Université d’Aix-Marseille. At Wesleyan, Shapiro teaches courses in French theater, poetry, Black Francophone literature and literary translation. His many published volumes span the centuries, medieval to modern, and the genres poetry, novel and theater. His book, The Complete Fables of Jean de La Fontaine is the recipient of the American Translators…

The prestigious Folio Society of London has just brought out a limited collector's edition of Fifty Fables of La Fontaine, a book of fables translated by Norm Shapiro, professor of French. The collection, originally published by University of Illinois Press in 1985, was the first of his several volumes of La Fontaine, culminating in the award-winning The Complete Fables of Jean de La Fontaine (2007). Jean de La Fontaine was the most widely read French poet of the 17th century. This new collector’s edition presents 50 of his fables.

Norm Shapiro, professor of romance languages and literatures, spoke about poetry translation during Summer Festival 2013, held June 23 at the Longfellow House National Historical Site in Cambridge, Mass. Shapiro is the author of dozens of books on French culture, literature and poetry. He recently translated most of New Orleans poet Jules Choppin’s poems for New Orleans Poems in Creole and French. The book presents a bilingual collection of forgotten treasures of 19th century francophone American literature. In 2010, he was decorated as Officier de Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the Minister of Culture and Communication in France. The Ordre was established in 1957 to recognize eminent…

Professor of Romance Languages Norman Shapiro, who translated La Fontaine into English, recently translated most of New Orleans poet Jules Choppin’s poems for New Orleans Poems in Creole and French. The book, published by Second Line Press in August 2013, presents a bilingual collection of forgotten treasures of 19th century francophone American literature. Choppin was a well-known poet who had been published in New Orleans papers as well as Comptes-rendus de l’Athénée Louisianais, a 19th-century Louisianan literary journal. Several of Choppin’s works are inspired by La Fontaine’s good-humored fables and written in “sprightly Lousisana Creole." Order the book online here.

Norman Shapiro, professor of romance languages and literatures, translated Comtesse Anna de Noailles' A Life of Poems, Poems of a Life. The poetry collection was published by Black Widow Press in 2012. A poet whose reputation has lasted beyond the popularity of her actual works, de Noailles was respected and beloved by France's literary and lay population alike, counting among her admirers such figures as Proust, Cocteau, Colette and many others. Seemingly unconcerned with the tenets of this or that poetic school, she tuned the traditional elements of French prosody to her personal lyrical use, refusing however to be straitjacketed…

Norman Shapiro, professor of romance languages and literatures, is the translator of Théophile Gautier’s Selected Lyrics. The book was published in December by Yale University Press. Théophile Gautier [1811–1872] was a prominent French poet, novelist, critic, and journalist. He is famous for his virtuosity, his inventive textures, and his motto “Art for art’s sake.” His work is often considered a crucial hinge between High Romanticism—idealistic, sentimental, grandiloquent—and the beginnings of “Parnasse,” with its emotional detachment, plasticity, and irresistible surfaces. According to the book’s preview: “Norman Shapiro’s translations have been widely praised for their formal integrity, sonic acuity, tonal sensitivities, and overall poetic…

Norm Shapiro, professor of romance languages and literatures, translated and edited the book Preversities: A Jacques Prevert Sampler, published by Black Widow Press, September 2010. Jacques Prevert (1900-1977) was a poet and screenwriter who actively participated in the Surrealist Movement as well as the Rue du Chateau group with Raymond Queneau and Marcel Duchamp. His poetry is taught in schools in France and his works appear in countless anthologies throughout the world. This comprehensive anthology, drawing from all time periods of his work, is the first in English to present a picture of the whole of Prevert's poetic achievement. Shapiro…

Norm Shapiro, professor of romance languages and literatures, was decorated as Officier de Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the Minister of Culture and Communication in France on April 23. France has a long history of official government distinctions for exceptional achievement. The "Order of Arts and Letters" was established in 1957 to recognize eminent artists, writers and people who have contributed significantly to furthering the arts in France and throughout the world. Shapiro is the author of dozens of books on French culture, literature and poetry. Many are award-winning. The Order of Arts and Letters is given out twice annually to…

One works in translating languages; the other translates words into images. Together they are about to take audiences through a centuries-old world of lechers, louts and libertines, among others. Norman Shapiro, professor of romance languages and literatures, and David Schorr, professor of art, have been collaborating together for more than 20 years to bring ancient French verse and tales to life for an English-reading audience. Their most recent effort is a re-issue, La Fontaine's Bawdy: Of Libertines, Louts, and Lechers (2009 by the Black Widow Press), a book they will be discussing and signing at on May 5 at Broad…

A translation by Norman Shapiro, professor of romance languages and literatures, will be given its world premiere on April 15, 16, 17 at Harvard University. The play, translated from Eugène Labiche's comedy, is titled "PATER OMNIPOTENS (OR A SUITOR UNSUITED)." Shapiro also will be lecturing in the Boston University Translation Seminar series on April 16 on "Tour de Farce: On Translating French Comedy."

Norman Shapiro, professor of romance languages and literature, translated Jean de La Fontaine's poems in La Fontaine's Bawdy, Revised Edition: Of Libertines, Louts, and Lechers. The 273-page book was published by Black Widow Press/Commonwealth Books, Inc. in Boston, Mass. on Jan. 16. David Schorr, professor of art, illustrated the book. The Contes et nouvelles en vers of Jean de La Fontaine (1621-1695) were published at various times throughout his life, often these works threatened to get him in trouble with both Church and Academie. This translation covers the entire corpus in all their variety. The mildly suggestive mingle with the frankly bawdy…

Shapiro Translates Fables in a Modern Key

Shapiro Named Distinguished Literary Translator

Folio Society Publishes Collector’s Editon of Shapiro’s 50 Fables of La Fontaine

Shapiro Speaks at Longfellow House Summer Fest

Shapiro Translates Choppin’s Creole Poems

Shapiro Translates de Noailles’ French Poetry Collection

Shapiro Translates Gautier’s Selected Lyrics

Shapiro Translates Irony, Puns in Preversities

Shapiro Honored by French Minister of Culture and Communication

Faculty Collaboration of Art, Words, Spans Decades

Shapiro’s Comic Translation Debuts April 15-17

Shapiro Translates, Schorr Illustrates French Book of Poems