ALTA 2009 CONFERENCE

November 11 - 14, 2009

Hilton Pasadena
168 South Los Robles Avenue
Pasadena, CA 91101
(626) 577-1000
Click here for hotel website

Special room rate $159.00, rate valid until September 29, 2009
Reservations will be by Individual Call-in
For Reservations call: 1-800-HILTONS
Please mention ALTA to ensure group rate

Continental Drift

The 2009 ALTA Conference Committee invites you to join us in Pasadena for a celebration of the confluence of cultures and languages that characterizes Southern California. Home of the world’s second largest Mexican population (after Mexico City), the most populous Korean community outside of Korea, and a center of Arab, Armenian, Central American, Chinese, Iranian, Jewish, Russian, Vietnamese, and countless other ethnic groups, greater Los Angeles is a place where continents truly do collide, even when our infamous seismic activity is at a lull!  And who facilitates this metaphorical continental drift more effectively than literary translators?  

You’ll find Pasadena an ideal location: our hotel is within walking distance of vibrant Old Town, with its exciting restaurants, shops, and historic buildings. Museum lovers can explore the Norton Simon Museum and the Huntington Library, located right in Pasadena, while the Getty, LACMA (Los Angeles County Museum of Art) and MOCA (Museum of Contemporary Art), in nearby Los Angeles, are easily accessible by car. The Music Center is right downtown, as well – just a fifteen minute drive.

This year’s ALTA conference will feature the intersection of translation and the entertainment industry, including film, legitimate theater, and music. Additionally, we will take a close look at the pedagogy of translation and the increasing visibility of literary translation in academia.  Of course, you can expect the usual complement of provocative panel discussions, as well as an exciting selection of bilingual readings, expertly coordinated, as always, by Alexis Levitin. We’re happy to report that Barbara Paschke will once again be in charge of Friday night’s ever-popular Declamación.  And we’ve invited three prominent keynote speakers associated with Latin American, Asian, and European literature in translation, respectively. But look for a few unusual twists this year. For example, you won’t want to miss the pre-conference reception, co-sponsored by Red Hen Press, on Wednesday evening, from 7-9, at the beautiful Pacific Asia Museum.  The museum is located just steps from the Hilton. All galleries will remain open for our enjoyment. John Balaban will read his exquisite translations of Ho Xuan Huong's poems from his book, Spring Essence: The Poetry of Ho Xuan Huong and the talented Le Pham Le will recite the Vietnamese originals in this unique setting. As a tribute to Los Angeles’ rich theatrical traditions, we have a special event in store – a production of Jaime Salom’s Behind the Scenes in Eden, directed by Chris Kidder of Commedia Beauregard. 

We look forward to welcoming you to Southern California!

Deadlines to note:

-Our book exhibit this year will be handled by the University of La Verne Bookstore. To order copies of your books for the display, please submit your orders to Derek Dioces, Bookstore Manager, at 0871mgr@fheg.follett.com, or by phone at (909) 593-8962, no later than August 15.

Conference Hosts:

Andrea Labinger (Chair)  labinger@verizon.net          

Gloria Aristizábal  gloriala@earthlink.net                   

Steven Bradbury  stevenedgarbradbury@earthlink.net

Jill Gibian  jgibian@groupware.eou.edu

Beth Pollack  bpollack@nmsu.edu  

Rubén Quesada r.quesada@ttu.edu