Marina Pianu - Resumé
e-mail: madsilk@libero.it
url: http://daf90.supereva.it/madd.htm
Education:
1979 Translator/Interpreter Diploma - English and Spanish
1978 Diploma from Eurocentro, Barcelona, Espaqa
1977 Summer School, Bath University, England
1976 Diploma di Maturita Scientifica (High School Diploma), Roma (60/60)
Skills:
Languages: English (bilingual), Italian (mother tongue)
Other Languages: Espaņol (muy muy bien), Frangais (optime)
Computer Tools: Microsoft Windows 98/ME, StarOffice 5.2, Office2000 (Word,
Excel, FrontPage), Arachnophilia, Quark Xpress, Adobe Photoshop, Acrobat
"Distiller", Ofoto for Windows, Internet Explorer 5.0, HTML/CSS.
Work Experience:
In Italy since 1994:
1997 - Present: Free-lance Translator - Bologna
During these past few years I have concentrated mostly on translating
activities, writing, developing new areas of competence as well as refining my
graphic skills. More specifically, I have attended courses on marketing and
business management with the aim of creating a new literary review online
(business plan available upon request). My new web site is under constant revision as I am working on refining both my graphic and web skills. I have also
designed the official Comitato Rutelli di Bologna web site
for last May electoral campaign.
Contributor, "Zero in condotta", Bologna
"Zero in Condotta" is a biweekly, locally oriented, publication with a
socio-cultural focus. I occasionally have been contributing human interest
stories, attending editors' meetings on a more regular basis. In exchange for
my collaboration, "Mongolfiera" (the events' calendar of Z.I.C.) has been
publishing an advertisement of my own design.
Special Column Editor/Layout Artist, "Il Cittadino", Siena
I started as a part-time free-lance contributor, writing human interest
stories and social reports. In a little over than a month, I was put in charge of the
cultural pages (tv, movies, arts and entertainment, and almanacs); this
entailed coordinating external contributors, editing and creating headlines for their
pieces, updating calendars, selecting and editing news flashes from press
agencies.
This was my opportunity to learn and grow as a graphic
designer: scanning, page and advertisement layout, photo filing. Gradually I
was also put in charge of classifieds pages, which involved updating databases,
receiving and filtering ads. Having improved my graphics abilities I was later
given the responsibility of layout for the entire newspaper, including first
page and posters. Towards the end of my tenure, I had taken up the editorship
of the national and international pages, revising and editing articles as well as
creating the headlines.
In USA (1984-1994):
Translator, Norwich CT
During this period of five years I have devoted myself mostly to literary
translation projects, such as Ugo Volli's "Against Fashion" (presented at the
"Popular Culture Conference" Toronto, Canada, March 1990), and Pierre
Clementi's "A Few Personal Notes". I have laid out the first part of my novel, "Leda,"
which I have submitted to "ES" and "Pizzo Nero (Black Lace)," and composed the
two remaining parts in draft form. I have published my story "L'Oubli" in
English ("And Then...") and in Italian ("Diffusions"). I have also done
historic and cultural research of XVIII Cent. France, as well as perfecting my
knowledge of French culture and language through conversation courses, readings, debate
groups, and a three-month permanence in Paris.
Temporary for Manpower, Norwich CT
During the year 1989 I have covered different assignments for Manpower:
receptionist for First National Bank in New London; secretary at Backus and
Norwich Hospitals where duties included round checks of clinical dossiers,
admission and discharge forms and assistance to shift nurses;
receptionist/secretary at the secretary's office in Norwich City Hall where
duties included phone, filing, accepting complaints, xeroxing, correspondence,
press coverage, receiving and sorting mail.
Translator/Interpreter, Norwich, CT
I was the official interpreter for the Twin City Project during the
negotiation between Norwich, CT, and Portofino, Italy. I had been appointed by the Council
President, Bonnie Hong, to handle contacts and correspondence between the two
city officials during negotiations and attended commitee meetings.
Librarian, Brentano Library, Northwestern University, Evanston IL
The Brentano Collection is a non-circulating library hosted in a reading room
for students and professors and comprises over two thousand titles and sixty
periodicals. New titles acquisitions and binding periodicals were among my
duties. I was also in charge of updating the library from the Dewey Decimal to
the Library of Congress System, thus considerably improving access to books of
fundamental importance to research. This very challenging project required an
exhaustive research, creation of a database for all titles, re-sorting of all
books, regeneration of all book labels and index cards. I successfully
coordinated the working students that were assigned to me for this project. I
have also completed translations of philosophic texts for classroom use among
which "Hermann Cohen's Plato" by Andrea Poma.
Graduate Secretary, Philosophy Department, Northwestern U., Evanston IL
NWU is one largest and most prestigious universities in the U.S.A., with an
enrollment of 17,000 ca. and 20 departments. I began as part-time typist and
then as full-time Assistant Secretary. I soon was promoted to the level of
Graduate Secretary where my duties included typing correspondence, philosophy
manuscripts, orders and payments, invitations. I was responsible for the files
of the graduate program, course material, copies of the professors'
publications and personal dossiers. I was also in charge of mail and program pamphlets
distribution. I also was taking care of liasons with students and faculty.
Additional dueties included photocopy service and course registration,
equipment and building maintenance. Upon occasion I also edited manuscripts of faculty
members according to the MLA standards.
Secretary, Century21 Shoreline, Evanston, IL
Century 21 is the world's largest in real estate business, counting over 2100
offices in 20 different countries. My duties included welcoming prospective
customers, coordinating appointments for home displays, selecting private
owners' ads from local newspapers, invitations for open houses and
advertising, typing and filing correspondence, phone networking, assisting brokers in
various aspects of their work; organizing open house shows, and occasional assistance
in home evaluation.
In Italy (1981-1983):
Legal Secretary, Chiomenti e associati, Roma
As assistant to two senior attorneys my duties included translations of
international contracts and interpreting for foreign customers.
Assistant Secretary, Esso Italiana, Roma.
As Assistant Secretary in the Marketing Department, working side by side with
the Administrative Secretary, my duties included invoices and receipts as well
as telex messages.
Other Professional Activities
Free-Lance Translations, Private Tutoring (since 1980)
Work Expectations
Foreign Relations, Public Relations, Translation Project Manager, Press Agent
Personal Interests
Literature, free-hand drawing, history, cooking