word to me--probably because nothing I'm interested in promises to make any money. For now, I'm going to keep translating, painting, and playing music until the day I wake up shivering under a newspaper blanket, missing all but one of my teeth and picking off larvae from a half-eaten dumpster sandwich. Then maybe it'll be time to get a career. Question: What's it like to have a book published for the first time? Johanna Warren: I'm deeply grateful to have been given this opportunity as a fledgling (but eager) young translator. Being the underdog, I think, is always a good motivation to set your bar high, to not disappoint. This was quite a difficult first book, due to its antiquated language and labyrinthian sentence structures, but I worked hard, ended up with a result I'm proud of, and learned more than I ever thought possible. After Valera, I feel ready to take on anything! About the Author Juan Valera y Alcal-Galiano was born in 1824 in Cabra, in Crdoba province. He earned a law degree from the University of Granada, followed by nearly fifty years as a career diplomat worldwide. When he resettled in Madrid, he became an editor at El Contemporneo , followed by government positions including Minister to Frankfurt, Assistant Secretary of State, and Director of Public Instruction. After assignments in Lisbon, Washington, DC, Brussels, and Vienna, Valera was elected to the Academy of Moral and Political Sciences. His published works, still considered among Spain's finest literature, include