Mordecai Martin
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mordecaimartin.net
Mordecai Martin
@mordecaimartin.net
1.8K followers 850 following 2.8K posts
He/him. Writer. איבערטייטשער. Fifth generation New Yorker. Mad man and Psychiatric Survivor. Hairy AND over-share-y. MFA from Randolph College. http://www.MordecaiMartin.net. https://fartaytshtundfarbesert.substack.com/
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mordecaimartin.net
An icy little poem from the second Battle of Artois, hill 675, where the anarchist poet and future assassin Sholem Shvartsbord can’t catch a break. Not sure about all my choices in this translation. But so be it.
A white background with black text that reads “Sentinel 1. Twice over now it’s changed, One watch ends, another begins, But I’m always here, alone, At my post, standing. 2. Cold winds blow from afar, Leaves fall, completely without number Oh! When will I be finished? Will the time ever end? 3. Frost and snow come to visit. They bring despair with them. Previous hope is dashed, And the dreams of night. . . 4. Standing, shuddering Cold, frozen to the bone! Death in this corner of barbed wire Who lasts longer? 4. My gun is stiff, frozen. Stuck to my right hand. Who should I protect like this? My country?!”
January 27, 2026 at 8:00 PM
mordecaimartin.net
Translation is neat, because instead of having an anxiety attack about whether I'll ever get a book published for the collapse of traditional publishing/society, I'm wondering whether I can get a grant to travel to the exact hill Sholem Shvartsbord wrote this poem on.
A poem in Yiddish.
January 21, 2026 at 3:29 PM
mordecaimartin.net
This is the poster for the fifth salon of the rose and cross group of symbolists. It shows the hero Perseus holding the severed head of the naturalist Emile Zola. Never be afraid to name your aesthetic enemies. Define yourself in opposition! I don’t agree with the symbolists, but I admire the verve!
January 18, 2026 at 5:13 PM
mordecaimartin.net
I’m in the middle of George Perec’s LIFE: A USER MANUAL translated by David Bellos, and oddly, it’s easier to see what the mundane elements are doing versus the extraordinary ones.
A hand holds up an edition of LIFE: A USER’S MANUAL by George Perec, translated by David Bellos
January 11, 2026 at 11:20 PM
mordecaimartin.net
From my family to yours, a freilikhn khanike!
A Hannukah menorah with five candles lit, and a small toy menorah next to it with five wooden toy candles
December 19, 2025 at 2:06 AM
mordecaimartin.net
An oldie but a goodie!
A picture of me, a large bearded man with flowers stuck in his beard and wearing a grey scarf
November 24, 2025 at 9:36 PM
mordecaimartin.net
Working on frontmatter of Dreams and Reality by Bessarabian anarchist-assassin-poet Sholem Shvartsbard/Baal Khaloymes (the Dreamer)

When I am silent, then the heart festers.
When I speak, then anger burns.
When I think, then I feel pain.
And when I dream, then I am corpse-pale. 
#translationthurs
The title page of Troymen un Virklikhkeyt, the Yiddish book described in the post. Beneath the title, a short poem which I have translated in the post is written in Yiddish
November 20, 2025 at 7:40 PM
mordecaimartin.net
You can just make a salad lyonnaise, that’s something you can do
A salad lyonnaise I made
November 17, 2025 at 11:59 PM
mordecaimartin.net
A friend in Gaza needs urgent financial assistance. I am offering some rewards for sending money to my Venmo @mo-martin-1. Receipts will be available. Rewards are in the picture (with alt text):
$10+ unpublished translated from the Yiddish poem/editorial cartoon/ humorous story or joke $25+ sneak peek of a hybrid translated-original prose project I am working on $50+ feedback on a work of yours, under 10 pages $100+ feedback on a work of yours, manuscript length.
November 2, 2025 at 6:31 PM
mordecaimartin.net
I am trying to raise 200 US dollars for an elderly Palestinian woman in Cairo to afford a wheelchair. Venmo me @Mo-Martin-1 and I’ll pass the money on. Venmo me an amount of 25 dollars or more and I’ll translate this poem by Sholem Shvartsbard for you!
A Yiddish poem by Sholem Shvartsbard
October 29, 2025 at 8:37 PM
mordecaimartin.net
My coworking space got the memo about spoopy season, considered the propositions therein seriously, and made action items
the coffee station at my co-working space, where the spoon rest for the coffee stirrer has been replaced with a spider shaped bowl, and there are three skeleton statues next to the cups the water cooler at my co-working space, where a mexican style sugar skull sculpture is flanked by two candle holders in the shapes of skeleton hands
October 13, 2025 at 6:12 PM
mordecaimartin.net
Alina, it wouldn’t fit
October 1, 2025 at 6:15 PM
mordecaimartin.net
This what I mean when I talk about art collectives as the future
A Richard Scarry drawing showing a single building with a poet, an artist painting a picture, a story writer, a photographer, and a book printer, among other anthropomorphic animal workers
September 20, 2025 at 1:16 AM
mordecaimartin.net
I took this picture of these small purple flowers on my street yesterday. Their lives of beauty, constricted by concrete and wire, reminds me of the beautiful souls of Gaza, denied food and medicine and safety, yet still they bloom. Please consider donating to help www.gofundme.com/f/help-karam...
Small purple flowers in dense greenery, framed by wire constraints
August 8, 2025 at 6:52 PM
mordecaimartin.net
I don’t know if the same sinister lessons can be drawn out of Lucha Libre here in Mexico, where I’ve immigrated. In reading this book, I feel I am being given a key to something gentler and more beautiful about the national culture than just how politicians twist the truth.
A colorful book cover showing two bare chested masked men, the one depicted from the front in red tights and mask, leaping to punch the one depicted from the back in blue tights and mask and cape. The title reads “olvidemos el circo, maroma, y teatro: 10 crónicas, gladiadores, leyendas” and the author is Salvador Rodriguez
August 6, 2025 at 6:03 PM
mordecaimartin.net
Did it
June 24, 2025 at 9:19 PM
mordecaimartin.net
I’m enjoying the challenge of doing street photography while attempting not to capture people without their permission or knowledge
A light purple house with dark purple trim, next to a red and yellow house A close up of a lamp post with two overlapping posters that say “tarde de cine” An upside down yellow handicap sign on a grey cracked curb A facade of a yellow house and a house painted white, both of them cracked and weathered. The white wall has a dark blue sign that says “Calle Asturias.” In the sky above there is a tree branch visible
April 25, 2025 at 10:02 PM
mordecaimartin.net
Going to try and make a routine of these walks. Really delightful to just see the world through the camera. Here’s some of my favorite compositions. Did a lot of thinking about frames.
A small yellow cart in front of a crosswalk with a hand lettered sign on the side that says “helado verano” A pink cluster of flowers Two motor scooters and a small pendant shaped sign that says “LIMITE” Some playground equipment framing a piece of graffiti behind them
April 23, 2025 at 2:40 PM
mordecaimartin.net
First steps. The flowers in the tree outside my window. Nikon D5600. Honestly, just grateful to take a pic not on my phone. Not unpleased with these.
A bright orange spiky flower surrounded by foliage, framed by a bar of grating that is not in focus More spiky orange flowers in foliage, an apartment building behind them
April 22, 2025 at 4:11 AM
mordecaimartin.net
Some highlights of the collection
April 7, 2025 at 8:34 PM
mordecaimartin.net
Excited to read with this amazing roster to support @translifeline.bsky.social and @translatinacoalition.org ! Contact me for registration info!
March 3, 2025 at 2:29 PM
mordecaimartin.net
I think I'm prepared to be insufferable about this. YOU SHOULD COME
Torn paper and tongue print background with an ANMLY logo. Large text reads TONGUES, with the subheading March 26th at 6:30 EST. Hosted by Min Straussman, featuring: Mared Roberts, Mordecai Martin, Ena Selimović, E.K. Bartlett, Rasaq Malik Gbolahan, Yilin Wang and Sara Hammami.
February 14, 2025 at 8:13 PM
mordecaimartin.net
This is an illustration of a little pro-labor Yiddish novella I’m translating. It depicts a sweatshop owner who crossed a picket line to eat some noodles getting the shit beat out of him by the striking dishwasher. Get fucked, Mr. Getzlberg!
A black and white cartoon of two men. The small man has a black eye and is being held in a headlock by the larger mustached man, whose fist is drawn back to hit him again. Around them other arms and hands are also shown in fists, with knives and clubs.
February 7, 2025 at 8:42 PM
mordecaimartin.net
Passed this bougainvillea on the way to the park to do something for myself. Felt encouraged. Don’t give up, okay? This bougainvillea wouldn’t
Some bright fuchsia bougainvillea blossoms on a tree
February 6, 2025 at 11:12 PM
mordecaimartin.net
The story this cartoon illustrates is ready for submission! Who's taking translated weird little Yiddish finds?
A cartoon of three men, two of them dressed as religious Jews, examining a diamond. One of the religious Jews is so tall that his beard hangs down over the eyes of the shorter religious Jew, who has an eye glass on the diamond. The caption reads in Yiddish, "he sees a hair in the diamond because he doesn't see the beard which stands above him"
January 21, 2025 at 9:32 PM