Stephen Mitchell (b. 1943 in Brooklyn, New York) is a poet, translator, scholar, and anthologist. He is married to author Byron Katie.

Biography

Mitchell was educated at Amherst College, the University of Paris, and Yale University. He is widely known for his translations of ancient classics, which use a poetic rather than literal approach. Languages that Stephen Mitchell has translated from include German, Hebrew, Greek, Latin, French, Spanish, Italian, and Danish. Languages that he has not translated from, but rather put together interpretive versions from existing translations into Western languages include Chinese (Tao Te Ching), Sanskrit (Bhagavad Gita), Akkadian or ancient Babylonian (Epic of Gilgamesh). He has also written the nonfiction book The Gospel According to Jesus, and co-wrote two of Byron Katie's books, Loving What Is and A Thousand Names for Joy. He also goes to a school called The Hollins.

Books

Poetry

• Parables and Portraits, HarperCollins, 1990, ISBN 0-06-092532-9

Fiction

• The Frog Prince: A Fairy Tale for Consenting Adults, Harmony Books, 1999, ISBN 0-60-960545-3
• Meetings with the Archangel: A Comedy of the Spirit, HarperCollins, 1998, ISBN 0-06-018245-8

Nonfiction

• A Thousand Names for Joy: Living in Harmony with the Way Things Are (with Byron Katie), Harmony Books, 2007, ISBN 0-307-33923-8
• Loving What Is: Four Questions That Can Change Your Life (with Byron Katie), Harmony Books, 2002, ISBN 1-400-04537-1
• The Gospel According to Jesus, Harper Perennial 1993, ISBN 0-060-92321-0

Translations and adaptations

• The Second Book of the Tao,Penguin Press, 2009, ISBN 1-59-420203-2
• Gilgamesh: A New English Version, Free Press, 2004, ISBN 0-74-326169-0
• Bhagavad Gita: A New Translation, Harmony Books, 2002, ISBN 0-60-981034-0
• Real Power: Business Lessons from the Tao Te Ching (with James A. Autry), Riverhead Books, 1998, ISBN 1-57-322089-2
• Full Woman, Fleshly Apple, Hot Moon: Selected Poems of Pablo Neruda, HarperCollins, 1997, ISBN 0-06-018285-7
• Genesis: A New Translation of the Classic Biblical Stories, Harper Collins, 1996, ISBN 0-06-092856-5
• Ahead of All Parting: The Selected Poetry and Prose of Rainer Maria Rilke, Modern Library, 1995, 0-67-960161-9
• A Book of Psalms: Selected and Adapted from the Hebrew, Harper Perennial, 1994, ISBN 0-06-092470-5
• The Selected Poetry of Dan Pagis, University of California Press, 1996, ISBN 0-52-020539-1
• Tao Te Ching, HarperCollins, 1988, hardcover ISBN 0-06-016001-2, paperback ISBN 0-06-016001-2, ISBN paperback P.S. edition 0-06-114266-2, pocket edition ISBN 0-06-081245-1, illustrated edition ISBN 0-71-121278-3
• The Book of Job, Harper Perennial, 1992, ISBN 0-06-096959-8
• The Selected Poetry of Yehuda Amichai (with Chana Bloch), University of California Press, 1996, ISBN 0-52-020538-3
• The Sonnets to Orpheus by Rainer Maria Rilke, Simon & Schuster, 1985, ISBN 0-67-155708-4
• The Lay of the Love and Death of Cornet Christoph Rilke by Rainer Maria Rilke, Graywolf Press, 1985, ISBN 0-91-045702-6
• Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke, Random House, 1984, ISBN 0-39-474104-8
• The Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brigge by Rainer Maria Rilke, Random House, 1983, ISBN 0-67-973245-4
• The Selected Poetry of Rainer Maria Rilke, Random House 1982, ISBN 0-39-452434-9, Vintage, 1989, ISBN 0-67-972201-7

Edited by Stephen Mitchell

• The Essence of Wisdom: Words from the Masters to Illuminate the Spiritual Path, Broadway Books, 1998, ISBN 0-76-790305-6
• Bestiary: An Anthology of Poems about Animals, Frog, Ltd., 1996, ISBN 1-88-331948-X
• Into the Garden: A Wedding Anthology (with Robert Hass), HarperCollins, 1993, ISBN 0-06-016919-2
• The Enlightened Mind: An Anthology of Sacred Prose, 1991, ISBN 0-06-092320-2
• The Enlightened Heart: An Anthology of Sacred Poetry, HarperCollins, 1989, ISBN 0-06-092053-X
• Dropping Ashes on the Buddha: The Teaching of Zen Master Seung Sahn, Grove Press, 1976, ISBN 0-80-213052-6

Children's Books

• The Ugly Duckling, by Hans Christian Andersen (illustrated by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher), Candlewick Press, 2007, ISBN 978-0763621599
• Iron Hans: A Grimms? Fairy Tale (illustrated by Matt Tavares), Candlewick Press, 2007, ISBN 0-76-362160-9
• Genies, Meanies, and Magic Rings: Three Tales from the Arabian Nights (illustrated by Tom Pohrt), Walker & Co., 2007, ISBN 0-80-279639-7
• The Tinderbox, by Hans Christian Andersen (illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline), Candlewick Press, 2007, ISBN 0-76-362078-5
• The Wishing Bone and Other Poems (illustrated by Tom Pohrt), Candlewick Press, 2003, ISBN 0-76-361118-2
• The Nightingale, by Hans Christian Andersen (illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline), Candlewick Press, 2002, ISBN 0-76-361521-8
• Jesus: What He Really Said and Did, Harpertempest 2002, ISBN 0-06-449009-2
• The Creation (illustrated by Ori Sherman), Dial Books, 1990, ISBN 0-80-370618-9

External links

• Stephen Mitchell website
• Interview of Mitchell from November-December 1996 Psychology Today about his translation of Genesis (ads present)
• Author profile
• PBS interview
• Speaking of Faith, interview with Krista Tippett
• PW interview
• Interview with Pico Iyer