My first visit to Italy in the winter of 1986, at the age of nineteen, fueled a desire to learn the language: I applied to Middlebury College Language Schools for the summer of that same year, was fortunate enough to be accepted, and went on to acquire a strong foundation in the language, studying with Prof. Mario Moffa. When I returned to Mills College, where I was majoring in Comparative Literature, I cross-registered at UC Berkeley and took as many Italian literature classes as possible. I went on to spend my junior year (1987-1988) at the University of Florence studying medieval manuscripts, Renaissance history, and contemporary cultural studies. 

After receiving my Bachelor's degree in 1989, I moved back to Florence to teach English, then made my home in the nearby Casentino Valley for four years. In 1994, I returned to the United States, this time to the inspiring chaos of New York City, where I worked first at the Italian Academy at Columbia University and then at the Consulate General of Italy.

In 1999, I attempted my first short literary translations and realized that this was my path forward; I began studying for a Master’s degree in Italian at Columbia University, which I obtained in 2002, studying with Luciano Rebay. To sustain a career in translation, I pursued a second Master's degree, this time in Adolescent Education, which allowed me to teach English in the NYC public schools. I moved back to Italy in 2009, where I continued to teach, translated novels and works of non-fiction, worked in the wine industry, and did commercial translations. I now make my living translating literature full-time.

Over the years I have received various kinds of external support for translation. In 2001, I won a travel fellowship from the American Literary Translators Association and have attended their conferences ever since, when possible. I was a Visiting Artist at the American Academy in Rome in 2003, where I worked on a translation set in Rome. In 2018, I taught a graduate-level translation class at Middlebury College Italian Language School. In 2019, I participated in a literary translation workshop with Tim Parks. Also in 2019, I attended the Middlebury College Breadloaf Translation Workshop. In 2021, I followed a specialized course on teaching literary translation hosted by the British Centre for Literary Translation, the European School of Literary Translation, and the Fondazione San Pellegrino. My work has been nominated for a range of awards, including the International Booker Prize, the Oxford-Weidenfeld Award, and the Silver Dagger Award.

Recently I have started writing essays under my own name that explore my connection to the Italian language. Workshops with Q.M. Zhang and Granta have not only helped me gain insight on where I want to go with this, they've also helped me build a sense of community with fellow writers.  

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Electric Lit Recommended Reading: "I am an Eight-year-old Orpheus" October 14, 2024

Europa website: Reading guide to Starnone's The Mortal and Immortal Life of the Girl from Milan, October 8, 2024

Global Libraries and Literature Initiative, Italian Literature in Translation Blog Post: Sneak peek of reading guide to The Mortal and Immortal Life of the Girl from Milan October 4, 2024

Asymptote blog: "In my dreams I reply like this" August 15, 2024

Article in Asymptote: Interview with Oonagh Stransky and Marla Moffa, translators of Eugenio Montale's Butterfly of Dinard" June 20, 2024

Oxford-Weidenfeld Translation Day, Talk: "Creative Solutions to Complex Situations in The House on Via Gemito." St. Anne's College, Oxford University, June 15, 2024

International Booker Prize Longlist 2024: Interview with Domenico Starnone and Oonagh Stransky April 3, 2024

Harshaneeyam Podcast: International Booker Prize Longlisted Book: The House on Via Gemito March 22, 2024

Tupelo Quarterly: "A Full-Stop on Her Period: Translating Lucarelli's Almost Blue" December 14, 2023

Hopscotch: "Thoughts on the Translation of Via Gemito" May 30, 2023

Contact me with any questions you may have.