Lady Rowena

Hi. I would do what most calls to you. If you're not sure about academia, an MA or an MLS is a great place to start. On the other hand, if you think you're ready for the commitment to the Ph.D., I would apply to a couple of programs at least. I didn't think I'd be accepted with a B.A., but I was. Also, your fiancé just made a big commitment to be in the Cambridge area for a while, so why don´t you concentrate on schools within a certain distance. It is true that you can sometimes be able to work as a language instructor at a public university. That´s what I´m doing. In other words, my department wasn't able to offer me funding, but I got an AIship in the Spanish Department. Suerte!

Hi, besixdouze, I´m in a similar position to yours as I have a wide range of interests that encompass literature, art, religion, queer theory, medieval writers and women´s literature. You might want to check out David M. Halperin at the University of Michigan: http://www.lsa.umich.edu/english/people/profile.asp?ID=254 Best of luck!

Hi! I´m a translator who is looking to do a graduate program, sort of backwards from you. Indiana University has Comp. Lit. and Classical Studies programs, and you can get a certificate in Literary Translation or Biblical and Literary Criticism. Good luck!

I know you´re concerned about job security, but perhaps you should consider working in translation, which is what I do. Given your language skills, it might be right up your alley. A couple of schools have recently added an M.A. in Translation (Rochester and U. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign). This leads me to think it´s a growing field in the U.S. (I live in Mexico.) I saw at least two universities (IU and UIUC) that had certificates in Translation within their Ph.D. programs, so that´s another possibility. That way you could teach and do literary translation. Lastly, just because you speak Spanish doesn´t mean you need to limit yourself to Spain. There are over twenty Spanish-speaking countries in the world and many of them, Mexico included, have been producing worthwhile literature for a long time. If you wanted to immerse yourself in a culture, Latin America is a good option. (By the way, despite the drawbacks you mention, I´m interested in U. of Michigan´s Comp. Lit. program, so if you have any comments about that, I¨m all ears.)

Hi, all. My situation is similar to Decaf´s in some ways. I studied Studio Art in the 80s, but am self-taught as a translator with many published books and catalogs under my belt. I read a lot and have taken many workshops, but I have no true credentials in literature or translating. I work translating from Spanish, although my specific interest for studying is in medieval women´s literature. My question is: In order to have "adequate subject preparation," do I need to take college-level courses that would give me a grade, or can I take a certificate program in literary theory/criticism, for example, without actually receiving a grade? I live in Mexico City, and I don´t believe I can take college courses for credit without actually being enrolled full-time, but there are lots of certificate programs available. Thanks. I hope you´ll be kinder and more tactful with me than you were with Decaf. S/he might be a great Turkish translator in the making! Lady Ro