Photo Kay J. Matsuyama
My name is Jacob Edelstein.
I translate all sorts of texts, mostly from Spanish to English.
I edit work with authors at every stage of development to help them improve their writing.
I teach & tutor students in the humanities — including private, 1:1 instrument lessons on drums, guitar, bass, mandolin, piano, and in Recording Arts.
I do this work because I enjoy it. I’ve also spent time learning how I can more effectively help students and authors.
I hold an MFA in Literary Translation and Creative Writing from the Vermont College of Fine Arts, a BA in Liberal Arts from Soka University of America, and a certificate in Dialogic-Collaborative Practice from the Taos Institute.
I've held positions as a school site administrator and served as teacher-of-record for courses and workshops on nearly every subject in the humanities — including at the honors, AP, and undergraduate levels.
I’ve served as an editor for Macmillan Publishing and Pushkin Press and currently serve as the Translations editor of the literary magazine, Defunct and an assistant editor and translator for the International Journal of Dialogic-Collaborative Practices. While completing my MFA, I started the Translations section at the literary magazine, Hunger Mountain.
My recent translations include works by Daniela Catrileo, Christina Bendek, Monserrat Sepúlveda, Santiago Arau, and Yael Weiss. My translation of Chilco by Daniela Catrileo received a 2025 PEN Translates award.