Karen Sandness
After teaching Japanese on the college level proved to be a dead-end job, Karen Sandness turned to textbook editing, which tided her over until she could establish a career as a Japanese-English translator (with much help from all her 先輩 on the internet). Having no expertise in the more lucrative areas of translation, she started out as a generalist thirty (!) years ago, but has narrowed her focus to a few specific fields: fine and performing arts, transportation and urban planning, travel, international relations, film, and literature. Give her some concert program notes, a report on an urban planning project, or a blurb from a tourism bureau, and she's a happy translator. She currently lives in her hometown of Minneapolis, a wonderful city, except for its winters, its mediocre transit system, and its distance from Japan.
A moderated panel discussion comparing generalists and specialists, their differences in work styles and lifestyles, and their respective advantages/disadvantages. Each panelist is a veteran translator who will provide useful advice about career development based on their personal experience. Audience questions are welcome.
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