Notes from the Hall of Uselessness — Simon Leys

Simon Leys, novelist, unflinching cultural and political commentator, Sinologist, and occasional illustrator, presents here timely meditations on the experience and hazards of literary translation. Preceding his essay are observations on everything from demented tyrants to musical geniuses who gain insights from vacuum cleaners. Leys is rightly renowned for his wisdom, his insight, and his linguistic and literary expertise.