“Writers make national literature, while translators make universal literature.” —José Saramago

french

• la douleur exquise: the heart-wrenching pain of wanting someone you can't have.
• l’appel du vide: refers to all of those indescribable instinctive urges to do something unimaginable that appear almost out of nowhere.
• jolie laide: the uniqueness of someone's beauty, something atypical that challenges or isn't aligned with conventional beauty standards