I have a friend in Iran, about my age. She has a daughter who translates from Persian to English and Japanese. Because of the nature of her work she lives outside Iran. When the unrest in Iran happened a few months ago, I wrote an...

Perhaps no other vocation is as misunderstood and, consequently, as de-valued as that of the translator. Really, what does a translator do apart from attempting a semiotic equivalence across two languages and, quite often, failing gloriously at the task she has set for herself? But...

Dear Readers, As we welcome you to the latest issue of Usawa, we invite you to meditate on the theme of ‘kindness’. What does it mean to you? Is it an act or emotion? Is it activism or self-care? Is it compassion or generosity?How does...