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Abstract
Although the Puerto Rican literary market is small, its production is strong. The local market is ripe for global expansion. Translations of locally-produced short-story anthologies would not only expand the popular culture literary market abroad, but serve as a cultural introduction to Puerto Rican life.
Comprising 22 short stories, “La desaparición de Jane Montgomery” y otros relatos crueles y fantásticos, by Hiram Lozada Pérez (2011) presents the human condition through a myriad of distinct characters and voices. Translating these stories into English –considered by many to be the world’s lingua franca – provides a glimpse into the complex sociocultural world of Puerto Rico to the world.
I have chosen to translate seven stories from this anthology: the titular “La desaparición de Jane Montgomery,” “La movida,” “La salida,” “La cliente,” “La herencia,” “La tía Mercedes y Perry Mason,” and “Relato de un vampiro,” domesticating the text to incorporate familiar forms of expression, making it easier for the average English-speaking reader in the United States to understand and enjoy.
