Author Rebecca F. Kuang on 'Babel,' revolution and students as visionaries
"An act of translation is always an act of betrayal."
This idea, and the questions it inspires, are central to author Rebecca or RF Kuang’s 2022 novel, Babel: Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators' Revolution.
As the title promises, the book also explores the nature of revolution and the "necessity of violence," in addition to those complex questions surrounding the art of translation.
This hour, we revisit our conversation with the author, which was focused on the award-winning book, during an event organized by local bookseller RJ Julia.
On the importance…
The skinny
The skinny isn't ready yet — notes appear once the transcript is processed.