Spain and Dos Passos, Continued

It’s testament to the beauty of Spanish culture that the memory of its people still lingers fondly in my mind. The many learnings and friendships developed during my recent trip have continued to pay out rich benefits. With the help of new friends, including talented translator Álvaro Domínguez, my original English-language article on Dos Passos in Spain has now been translated and published in Spain. “The Villages Are Still the Heart of Spain” is now “Frondosa tierra de toros y chocolate.” El País, the largest daily newspaper in Spain, has published the Spanish piece.

Domínguez’s translation has preserved the power of my grandfather’s prose. In Spanish, my grandfather’s affection for the country is somehow all the more apparent.

If I write a new John Dos Passos biography, I think it should be organized geographically so it conveys his internationalism. His cosmopolitanism was uncommon among the Lost Generation–experience that went far beyond the French Riviera and the Alps. In most contemporary criticism, Dos Passos’s interest in foreign politics and literature is quite understated.

My Spanish education continues, to my delight.

Fuentiduena de Tajo, Spain