Christian Collins appears to be living a double life. By day, he's a mild-mannered American-born librarian at the St. Johnsbury Athenaeum. Off the clock, he's a Canadian resident who uses his fluency in Arabic to help translate the short stories of Syrian writer Osama Alomar into English. Alomar immigrated to Chicago in 2008 and until recently worked as a cabdriver; he now lives in Pittsburgh. He has published three collections of short stories and one volume of poetry in Arabic. Since 2009, Collins has worked with the writer — over the phone, at Alomar's kitchen table and even in his cab, between fares — to translate Alomar's epigrammatic prose. In 2014, New Directions Publishing published Fullblood Arabian, translated by the duo. Praised by the New Yorker and the New York Times, Alomar's stories have also appeared in Ploughshares, TriQuarterly and the Literary Review. His newest book co-translated with Collins, The Teeth of the Comb & Other Stories, debuts this week. Seven Days recently caught up with Collins, 39, to learn about his dual adventures in the book world. SEVEN DAYS: You appear to have two professional names: In Vermont you're known as Christian J. Collins. However, on the covers of Alomar's books, you're C.J. Collins. Similarly, your book bios describe you as a librarian based in Queens and Grafton, N.Y. Meanwhile, the St. Johnsbury Athenaeum lists you in the staff directory. What up? CHRISTIAN COLLINS: I used to live in Queens. Then Grafton. Then St. Johnsbury, while I was waiting for my residency in Canada to come through. Now [I live in] Compton with my wife, who has lived in Québec for 18 years. My book bios are not particularly accurate. C.J. Collins is the name under which I publish. Christian is my given name. SD: As you navigate the U.S.-Canada border, have your Middle Eastern affiliations been an issue? CC: I am a permanent resident of Canada as of a year ago, and I have been a regular visitor over the last three years. I cross the border almost daily for work. I am familiar to the border agents of both sides, and knowing Arabic or having lived in Syria has never posed a problem. SD: You first met Osama Alomar when you were in Syria in 2007, following a 2006 Fulbright fellowship to study Middle Eastern history there. How? CC: I met Osama at a monthly sort of…
Christian Collins appears to be living a double life. By day, he's a mild-mannered American-born librarian at the St. Johnsbury Athenaeum. Off the clock, he's a Canadian resident who uses his fluency in Arabic to help translate the short stories of Syrian writer Osama Alomar into English. Alomar immigrated to Chicago in 2008 and until recently worked as a cabdriver; he now lives in Pittsburgh. He has published three collections of short stories and one volume of poetry in Arabic. Since 2009, Collins has worked with the writer — over the phone, at Alomar's kitchen table and even in his cab, between fares — to translate Alomar's epigrammatic prose. In 2014, New Directions Publishing published Fullblood Arabian, translated by the duo. Praised by the New Yorker and the New York Times, Alomar's stories have also appeared in Ploughshares, TriQuarterly and the Literary Review. His newest book co-translated with Collins, The Teeth of the Comb & Other Stories, debuts this week. Seven Days recently caught up with Collins, 39, to learn about his dual adventures in the book world. SEVEN DAYS: You appear to have two professional names: In Vermont you're known as Christian J. Collins. However, on the covers of Alomar's books, you're C.J. Collins. Similarly, your book bios describe you as a librarian based in Queens and Grafton, N.Y. Meanwhile, the St. Johnsbury Athenaeum lists you in the staff directory. What up? CHRISTIAN COLLINS: I used to live in Queens. Then Grafton. Then St. Johnsbury, while I was waiting for my residency in Canada to come through. Now [I live in] Compton with my wife, who has lived in Québec for 18 years. My book bios are not particularly accurate. C.J. Collins is the name under which I publish. Christian is my given name. SD: As you navigate the U.S.-Canada border, have your Middle Eastern affiliations been an issue? CC: I am a permanent resident of Canada as of a year ago, and I have been a regular visitor over the last three years. I cross the border almost daily for work. I am familiar to the border agents of both sides, and knowing Arabic or having lived in Syria has never posed a problem. SD: You first met Osama Alomar when you were in Syria in 2007, following a 2006 Fulbright fellowship to study Middle Eastern history there. How? CC: I met Osama at a monthly sort of…