And the Hippies Came, Thanks to Alumni Publishers

“The objective is simple,” publishing house 7Vientos Press explains on its website: “to promote diversity of cultures by bringing literature previously unavailable in English….7Vientos believes that the publishing platform should be a creative outlet for breaking from the status quo.”

“DePaul is never content with the status quo,” writes Edward R. Udovic, C.M., Ph.D., in his article “Translating Vincent de Paul for the 21st Century: A Case Study of Vincentian Mission Effectiveness Efforts at DePaul University.”1  “DePaul’s educational tradition is marked by innovation, by creativity and by a persistent pursuit of novel solutions to meet educational needs in the marketplace and society.”

Novel solutions indeed.

7Vientos Press (“siete vientos,” meaning “seven winds” in honor of its seven co-founders in the Windy City) was founded in 2010 to shine a spotlight on Spanish-language literature that is under-appreciated by, or unavailable to, contemporary readers, whether Spanish or English speakers. Daniel Parra Álvarez, co-founder and editorial director, graduated from DePaul University in 2008 with a concentration in International Business. It’s clear he was also concentrating on the Vincentian principle of doing to create change.

The five-year-old editorial project publishes bilingual “flip books” — open one cover to read the original Spanish, or flip to the other cover to read the English translation. The two texts meet in the middle. This type of binding is “of great value to a range of readers, from those who haven’t quite mastered the language to those who are studying advanced translation,” says Renata Schneider, DePaul Metadata Librarian and Liaison to the Department of Modern Languages. “Traditionally, these types of books are published with the translation page facing the original text. Despite the added value of having the original text easily accessible, some readers find this closeness distracting. One way to avoid this problem is by using inverted format, known as tête-bêche, as is the case with 7Vientos books. The inverted format allows both the original text and the translation to function independently, minimizing distractions.” Students working towards receiving a Minor in Translation will have a glowing example of the art in Kolin Jordan’s work, which Jeffrey Zuckerman describes as “faultless” in the Los Angeles Review of Books. Jordan, another of the “seven winds,” graduated from DePaul University in 2005.

The cities listed in the publishing imprint on the books’ cover pages are testimony to 7Vientos’ desire to foster dialogue between North America, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean: Buenos Aires, Caracas, Chicago, Ciudad de México, Lima, Bogotá, San Juan. The headquarters may be in Chicago, but the reach is global.

7Vientos has used Kickstarter to help fund their projects, which proves that an eager readership is hungry for the “unorthodox, experimental, and intellectually risky” literature that the young press is passionate about. Their first publication, And the Hippies Came and Other Stories/Llegaron Los Hippies y Otros Cuentos by Manuel Abreu Adorno, was supported by one hundred thirty-two backers who were inspired to see the cult classic printed in English for the first time since its 1978 publication.

The DePaul University Library has acquired the first four volumes published by 7Vientos: Malabarismos del Tedio by Marco Antonio Escalante; Saturnalia/Saturnario by Rey Andújar, translated by Kolin Jordan; Flowers/Flores & Mishima’s Illustrated Biography/Biografía Ilustrada de Mishima by Mario Bellatin, translated by Kolin Jordan; And the Hippies Came and Other Stories/Llegaron los Hippies y Otros Cuentos by Manuel Abreu Adorno, translated by Rafael Franco Steeves.

Want to meet the editorial team in person? 7Vientos will be participating in LibroFest, a free event with literary workshops, performances and food in Malta, Illinois on Thursday October 9.

——–

1. Edward R. Udovic, C.M., Ph.D.,“Translating Vincent de Paul for the 21st Century: A Case Study of Vincentian Mission Effectiveness Efforts at DePaul University.” Vincentian Heritage Journal  26.1 (1 October 2005).