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A Scattering of Jades: Stories, Poems, and Prayers of the Aztecs. Translated by Thelma D. Sullivan. Edited by Timothy J. Knab. Tucson, Arizona: University of Arizona, 2003.
This work gathers together a broad and fascinating selection of sixteenth-century Aztec literature in translation, with extensive background and commentaries. It is a delight to read, for Sullivan was one of the most skilled translators of recent times. Her contributions to Aztec studies in general and Nahuatl studies in particular have been considerable. At least two generations of colleagues and students had the good fortune to personally experience this "godmother's" support, creative mind and conscientious scholarship. With her passing, she left behind a large body of unfinished translations, meticulous notes, and outlines for further work. Even more unfortunate, with the exception of a small circle of Aztec specialists, her sizeable body of work in print has been largely unknown outside of Mexico; this in spite of the fact that her works often were published in English. A Scattering of Jades helps...