Translator, Stephanie Schechner, Reads from French Lesbian Author, Mireille Best’s Novels

Join us for a conversation with translator and former French professor Stephanie Schechner who will discuss her translations of Camille in October (orig. 1988, trans. 2019) and Hymn to Moray Eels (orig. 1986, trans. 2025).

Both written by the French, working-class, lesbian author Mireille Best, these coming-of-age stories will resonate for anyone who has struggled against the confines of societal norms regarding gender, gender identity, or sexual identity. Transgressive before her time, Best anticipated today’s resistance to constricting ideas about how individuals should think and behave.

We plan for a talk followed by audience Q&A, so come ready for a spirited chat!