A Conversation With Tess O'Dwyer

Tess O'Dwyer grew up on a farm in Colts Neck, during the Vietnam era.

Her mother was "a charismatic Korean artist and dancer who thrived in the limelight," and her father was, "a quiet Irish-American contractor from Queens who was happiest on the sofa reading about about World War II."

O'Dwyer said she was a part of one of the only Asian families in the area at the time, and her parents were very different from one another.

"She lived loud and he lived quiet. What they had in common was a love for the arts and a great sense of humor," O'Dwyer said.

O'Dwyer went on from farm life to earn a Master's degree in literature from Rutgers University, after which she began translating foreign literature to English. O'Dwyer also wrote her own novel, about her charismatic mother, entitled "Ballerina of Chestnut Mountain."

"My mother was such a fascinating character—explosive in laughter and in rage alike—it was hard to tell a story as big as her life. Rather than tackle a novel, which many have asked me to write, I opted for a short story, called "Ballerina of Chestnut Mountain", in which I weaved together a series of defining moments about her character, her obsessions, her memories as a survivor of war, an immigrant, a mother of six, and an artist who was living in exile in the very country that invaded hers. It’s a sketch of who my mother was from a child’s point of view. She died just last year, and I haven’t revisited the story since. I would probably tell it quite differently now. When a life is complete, the story begins anew."

The local author won First Place in the National Short Story Competition of the Hackney Literary Awards. But O'Dwyer spends much of her literary talents translating foreign work, for which she has won the Columbia University Translation Center Award and the Yale Library of World Literature in Translation.

"I tend to translate books more than I write. Translating for me is about traveling through cultures. My father knew English, Gaelic, Latin, Japanese, and French, and my mother knew Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and English. My love of languages comes from them. I was always fascinated by what comes across cultural and linguistic barriers, and what falls through the cracks, causing havoc or a good laugh. I have translated contemporary Latin American classics by the poet and novelist Giannina Braschi for Yale University Press and AmazonCrossing, namely "Empire of Dreams" and "Yo-Yo Boing!" I have also translated a Nineteenth Century Social Realist novel, Martin Rivas, for Oxford University Press. I do lots of editing as well."

As for her local roots, O'Dwyer said the rural landscape of Monmouth County gave her something to look forward to every morning during her childhood. Now, she enjoys it as a reverse commuter, continuing to appreciate what the area has to offer.

"I grew up surrounded by beautiful landscapes. My bedroom window overlooked a horse training track--and I'd awake every morning to the sound of the trotters and pacers circling the track. It was back in the day when there were more horses and cows than kids in town. We would go to the city on weekends to experience the art at the Salmagundi Art Club and other galleries. Now I do the opposite commute. I spend most of the week in New York and spend long weekends in Marlboro. What I love about the town is that we've got all the rural elements, the convenience of Route 9 commerce, and a bus to New York City every 15 minutes! What's not to love? Oh, maybe the herds of deer. Lovely but dangerous to drivers."

O'Dwyer now runs her own fundraising consulting firm in New York City, while continuing to foster her love for literature.