Title: Bridging Borders and Languages: A Look at Roberto Azcorra Cámara’s Medusa reina
Translation is rarely just a mechanical substitution of words; more often, it is a living, breathing dialogue between cultures, languages, and human experiences. This theme took center stage at the book talk celebrating the publication of Medusa reina, the second short story collection by acclaimed Mexican fiction writer, playwright, and university professor Roberto Azcorra Cámara.
Moderated by award-winning writer and translator Esther Allen, and featuring Pennell Somsen, a CUNY BA alumna, donor, and Roberto’s dedicated translator, the conversation offered a fascinating look at the complexities of contemporary Spanish-language literature, cross-cultural collaboration, and the power of multidisciplinary education.
Inside Medusa reina: The Search for Human Connection
Medusa reina invites readers into deeply intimate, emotionally resonant worlds. Across its pages, Roberto explores the full spectrum of the human condition: from romantic love and family bonds to grief, memory, and desire. As the discussion highlighted, Roberto’s characters often navigate unexpected paths where relationships shift, borders blur, and quiet emotional truths emerge.
During the event, Roberto and Pennell treated the audience to bilingual readings from the collection—specifically from the powerful story “Penniless Translation at Daybreak” (or Traducción sin blanca al romper el alba). Through evocative imagery of family estrangement, inherited absences, and unexpected literary legacies, the story sets the tone for a collection that questions rigid boundaries and explores what it means to understand one’s roots truly.
The Art of Collaboration: When Translation Shapes the Original
One of the most compelling takeaways from the book talk was the unique creative partnership between Roberto and Pennell. Far from a distant business transaction, their translation process is deeply collaborative, rooted in close friendship, shared coffee in the park, and exhaustive conversations about word choice and emotional resonance.
Interestingly, this cross-linguistic partnership has a profound feedback loop. Rivera shared that working closely with Simpson on the English translations has occasionally inspired him to revisit and rewrite parts of the original Spanish stories. Echoing the legendary creative habits of Nobel laureate Octavio Paz, Rivera views translation not as an end point, but as an extension of the writing process itself proving that a text can evolve and mature when viewed through the lens of another language.
A Multilingual Spirit and Global Perspective
The conversation also underscored the value of interdisciplinary learning and multilingualism, tying back to the spirit of the CUNY BA program. Somsen’s journey into translation began through her academic coursework, demonstrating how stepping into a second language can unlock unexpected creative horizons.
Whether discussing the nuances of regional Spanish spoken across Mexico and the United States, or the emotional architecture required to build a short story, the event served as a powerful reminder of why translation matters. It bridges divides, brings vital global voices to English-speaking audiences, and reminds us that literature at its core, is about breaking down borders.
Medusa reina Book Summary
Medusa reina (Ficticia, 2025), Roberto Azcorra Cámara delves into the intimacy of relationships to reveal how, even through misfortune, a path remains, sometimes luminous, sometimes dark, always unexpected. The stories explore multiple forms of affection: romantic love, maternal devotion, forbidden desire, grief through the lens of memory, urban space, and emotional conflict. Five of the stories share a recurring protagonist at different stages of life, creating a narrative arc that reads almost as a game for the attentive reader. The stories of this book don’t end definitively; instead, they leave the outcome to the protagonists and the reader.
Book Link: https://ficticia.com/catalogo/258
Copies of Medusa reina are available now. Dive into Roberto’s evocative short stories and experience a world where language is always a bridge.
