Stephen Mitchell (translator)

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Stephen Mitchell (born 1943) is a poet, translator, scholar, and anthologist. Born in Brooklyn, Mitchell is known for his translations and adaptions of works including the Tao Te Ching , the Hebrew Bible's book of Psalms, the Epic of Gilgamesh , works of Rainer Maria Rilke, and some Christian texts. [1]

Contents

Education

Stephen Mitchell was born to a Jewish family, educated at Poly Prep, Amherst College, [2] the University of Paris, [2] and Yale University, [2] and "de-educated"[ further explanation needed ] through intensive Zen practice. He studied for 4+1⁄2 years with Zen master Seungsahn and for 2+1⁄2 years with Robert Baker Aitken Rōshi.

Career

Mitchell's translations and adaptions include the Tao Te Ching , [3] which has sold over a million copies[ as of? ], Gilgamesh , [4] the Iliad , [1] [5] [6] [7] the Odyssey , [8] The Gospel According to Jesus, the Bhagavad Gita , [9] the Book of Job , [10] the Second Book of the Tao, and The Selected Poetry of Rainer Maria Rilke . He twice won the Harold Morton Landon Translation Award from the Academy of American Poets. His Selected Rilke has been called "the most beautiful group of poetic translations [the twentieth] century has produced" (Chicago Tribune), his Gilgamesh was runner-up for the first annual Quill Award for poetry, and his Iliad was one of The New Yorker 's Favorite Books of 2011.[ citation needed ]

He is also the coauthor of three of his wife Byron Katie's bestselling books: Loving What Is, A Thousand Names for Joy, and A Mind at Home with Itself. His 2019 book Joseph and the Way of Forgiveness is a Zen-inflected midrash on the Joseph story from the book of Genesis. Additionally, he wrote a reimagining of the Christian Nativity story entitled The First Christmas.

Personal life

Mitchell is married to Byron Katie, founder and promoter of the self-inquiry method "The Work". [11]

Books

Poetry

Fiction

Nonfiction

Translations and adaptations

As editor

Children's books

References

  1. 1 2 "It's Not All Greek to Him". The Wall Street Journal. September 20, 2011. Archived from the original on October 25, 2013. Retrieved October 22, 2013.
  2. 1 2 3 ""About the Author" HarperCollins Publisher". www.harpercollins.com. Retrieved October 22, 2013.
  3. ↑ Mitchell, Stephen (1988). Tao Te Ching: A New English Version. New York: HarperCollins. ISBN   9780061142666.
  4. ↑ Connolly, Joy (5 December 2004). "'Gilgamesh': The Iraq War, 2500 B.C." The New York Times. Retrieved 2013-10-22.
  5. ↑ "Conversation: Stephen Mitchell, Author of the New Translation of Homer's 'The Iliad'". NPR: National Public Radio. Archived from the original on 2011-11-11. Retrieved 2013-10-22.
  6. ↑ Mendelsohn, Daniel (October 8, 2013). "What Do You Look for in Modern Translation?". The New York Times.
  7. ↑ McAllister, Sue (October 12, 2011). "Back story: 'Iliad' translator Stephen Mitchell". San Jose Mercury News. Retrieved 2013-10-22.
  8. ↑ Homer (September 23, 2013). "The Death of Argos (Homer's Odyssey, Book 17: 260-327)". The New Yorker Magazine. Translated by Stephen Mitchell.
  9. ↑ "Bhagavad Gita: A New Translation". Publishers Weekly. February 10, 2000.
  10. ↑ Gross, John (September 25, 1987). "Books of The Times: The Book of Job". The New York Times. Retrieved 2013-10-23.
  11. ↑ "Byron Katie". Oprah.com. Archived from the original on 2013-10-26. Retrieved 2013-10-22.
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