TRANSGENDER POET, BARBARA MARIE MINNEY, IS GOING INTERNATIONAL!

I am thrilled beyond words to share with you that my poetry is being translated into Spanish!

I was quite surprised to receive a message at the end of November from translator, literary agent, poet and promoter, María Del Castillo Sucerquia, inquiring if I was interested in being translated into Spanish and published by prestigious magazines for Spanish speakers from Mexico, Chile, Argentina, Colombia, Peru, Costa Rica, Spain or Venezuela. I must admit that, at first, I was both curious and suspicious as to why my poetry would be chosen to be translated.

I received a reply to my inquiry and obviously María knows how to be flattering. She said that I am very talented and kind, that she had read some of my poems, and it looks like I have a promising voice and would make a great contribution to history and philosophy. I don’t know about all of that.

Anyway, I happen to live with an expert researcher, and after doing some checking, it appeared that both María and the proposal were legitimate. So, after much discussion with Marilyn and my counselor and emails back and forth, I decided to proceed with the project.

I sent María a portfolio of about twenty poems that she could choose from for the translations. Earlier this month, I received the first column of my poems that were translated into Spanish. They included “The Ornament,” “The Cardinal Still Sings,” “Violaceous,” and “The Road Most Traveled.” It is supposed to be published by Hiedra magazine from Mexico.

Being a natural skeptic and trained in the law, I still have a kind of “wait and see” attitude, but at the same time, it still is very exciting. I’m also thinking about learning Spanish.

Barbara Marie Minney is a transgender woman, award-winning poet, writer, speaker, and quiet activist. She is a retired attorney and a seventh generation Appalachian. Now based in Tallmadge, Ohio, her first collection of poetry entitled “If There’s No Heaven” was the winner of the 2020 Poetry Is Life Book Award and the Akron Beacon Journal Best Northeast Ohio Books 2020. It is available through this website at www.poetryislifepublishing.com. Barbara is also the author of the "Poetic Memoir Chapbook Challenge." Follow her at www.barbaramarieminneypoetry.com.