As you might remember, we recently announced Close Approximations, our $4,500 translation contest judged by Michael Hofmann, Ottilie Mulzet, and Margaret Jull Costa. But we have more exciting news for you: Our podcast and annual reader survey are back! And to prepare for new ventures, we’re hoping to enlist new team members via our final recruitment drive of the year (deadline: 1 September 2015). Check out the details here:
1) Missed our recruitment drive in the spring? Been regretting it ever since? Do not despair! We’ve recently listed more open positions for Editors-at-Large, Assistant Editor, Assistant Blog Editor, Assistant Managing Editor, Executive Assistant, Print Designer, Merchandise Designer, Communications Manager, Spanish Social Media Manager, Fundraiser/Grantwriter, Business Developer, and Head of Programming (Events). Finally, if you’re looking to commit for short-term, we also accept applications for one-off volunteers to organize an Asymptote event; in fact, it is possible to sign up for our super low-commitment support team!
2) As we prepare for new ventures just ahead such as “Library Sessions,” a reading club dedicated to world literature that we’re launching in London, Paris, and New York, we would love to hear what you think of the magazine—and what you’d like to see in our sixth year of shaping world literature. If you take part in our annual reader survey, you could also be among the five lucky readers who win literary care packages (worth $50 each)! The deadline for taking the survey is September 1.
3) “What exactly is “the uncanny?” We’ve all felt the sensation of a bloodcurdling shiver running down our spines, but when it comes to describing what that means or what caused it, we’re often left with nothing but: ‘it was just . . . creepy.'”
In this latest episode of the Asymptote podcast, Emma Jacobs and Sally Decker explore the mysterious and alluring phenomenon of getting the creeps through the words of some of the best scary-storytellers in world literature. Part 1 of this audio anthology features the writing of Franz Kafka, Bruno Schulz, Yoko Ogawa, Ambrose Bierce, Felisberto Hernandez, Mansoura Ez Eldin, Dean Paschal, John Herdman, and, of course, Sigmund Freud—all read by a cast of professional actors and accompanied by original music recorded exclusively for this podcast edition.