Mary J. Serrano

Serrano was born Mary Jane Christie in Castlebar, Ireland c. 1840 to Thomas Christie & Jane Bourns. She married Spaniard Juan Emigdio Serrano and emigrated to South America with him. There, he was a minister in the government and brother of the President of Colombia, José María Campo Serrano as well a relative of Carlos Holguin. She lived there for many years, also spending significant time in New York City as a result of his work. She learned to speak fluent Spanish. As a result of her proficiency, when her husband died she began to translate works into English. She also translated from French and Portuguese. Her first translation was of Juan Valera whom she met in Washington D.C. while he was minister to the United States from Spain.

The family were considered socialites due to their connections to the Spanish royal family and other government representatives.{{cite news |title=The Evening News Wilkes-Barre |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/394979410/?terms=mary%2BJ%2BSerrano |accessdate=16 August 2018 |agency=Pennsylvania United States of America |publisher=Wilkes-Barre Times Leader |date=13 September 1898}}{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/44274420/?terms=mary%2BJ%2BSerrano |work=Pennsylvania United States of America |publisher=Harrisburg Telegraph Harrisburg |date=9 September 1898|title=Women translators and their meagre rewards}}{{cite news |newspaper=The Brooklyn Daily Eagle|location=Brooklyn, New York|date=26 April 1890|title=Romance of the heavens}}{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/3151622/?terms=mary%2BJ%2BSerrano|title=Harold Villard to wed Miss Serrano|newspaper=The World |location=New York, New York)|date=4 October 1896|page=26}} Serrano was considered a well known authority on Spanish literature and was appointed Judge of awards in the Spanish Literary and Educations Departments of the Columbian Exposition by the Spanish Government.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/20589007/?terms=mary%2BJ%2BSerrano|newspaper= The New York Times|title=Lectures|location= (New York, New York)|date=7 October 1895|page= 10}}{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/436666760/?terms=%22vincent%2BSerrano%22|newspaper=Sioux City Journal |location=(Sioux City, Iowa)|date =4 April 1909|page= 16|title=Dramatic notes}}

Because of her husband's family and work the Serrano's were well connected. In 1894, Serrano took her daughter to Europe, visiting Spain where both were received by the Queen Regent returned with delightful recollections of the young king and princesses. Serrano had three children with her husband:

• Mariguita Serrano Villard, (1864–1936) whose mother-in-law was the activist Fanny Garrison Villard, co-founder of the NAACP. Her son was writer and diplomat Henry Serrano Villard; her daughter was Mariquita Platov, a writer and pacifist
• Camilla Serrano Keating, (–1920), mother of magician Fred Keating
• Vincent Serrano, (1866–1935) stage and film star.

Serrano died in her home in New York on 1 July 1923.{{cite news|title=Obituary notice|newspaper=The Indianapolis Star|location=Indianapolis, Indiana|date=July 30, 1923}}

• {{cite book|author=Mrs. Mary Jane Christie Serrano|title=Asphodel|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DsMRAAAAYAAJ|year=1910|publisher=Knickerbocker}}
• {{cite book|author=Mary Jane Christie Serrano|title=Destiny: And Other Poems|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VnfNtwEACAAJ|year=1883|publisher=G.P. Putnam's Sons}}
• {{cite book|author=Alarcón, P. Antonio de|year=1892|translator=Mary J. Serrano|title= The child of the ball|publisher= New York: Cassell Pub. Co}}
• {{cite book|author=Emile Zola|translator=Mary J. Serrano|title=Doctor Pascal|date=3 December 2017|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NThBDwAAQBAJ&pg=PP3|isbn=978-3-7326-1769-2|pages=3–|publisher=BoD – Books on Demand }}
• {{cite book|author=Pérez Benito Galdós|translator=Mary J. Serrano|title=Dona Perfecta (Dodo Press)|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kKyFPwAACAAJ|publisher=New York, Harper & brothers|location=New York|year=1895|isbn=9781406517149}}
• {{cite book|author=Marie Bashkirtseff|title=Letters Translated by Mary J. Serrano|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BHpcAAAAMAAJ|year=1891|publisher=Cassell Publishing Company}}
• {{cite book|author=Marie Bashkirtseff|translator=Mary J. Serrano|title=Marie Bashkirtseff: The Journal of a Young Artist, 1860-1884|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=k3oaAAAAYAAJ&pg=PP9|year=1889|publisher=Cassell Publishing Company|pages=9–}}
• {{cite book|author1=Emilia Pardo Bazán (condesa de)|author2=Mary Jane SERRANO|title=Morriña (Homesickness) ... Translated by Mary J. Serrano|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AAsZMwEACAAJ|year=1891|publisher=Cassell Publishing Company}}
• {{cite book|author1=Eca De Queiros|author2=Mary Jane Christie Serrano|title=Dragon's Teeth: A Novel from the Portuguese|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SQTwtAEACAAJ|date=1889|publisher=Creative Media Partners, LLC |isbn=9781375538435}}
• {{cite book|author=Pedro Antonio de Alarcón|title=Moors and Christians, and Other Tales. From the Spanish ... by Mary J. Serrano|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7VdWMwEACAAJ|year=1891|publisher=New York}}
• {{cite book|author=Juan Valera|translator=Mary J. Serrano|title=Pepita Ximenez|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UEshx3RHlmMC|year=1891|publisher=Appleton}}
• {{cite book|author=Emilia Pardo Bazán|translator=Mary J. Serrano|title=The Swan of Vilamorta|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6L4SDgAAQBAJ&pg=PT1|date=1891|publisher=Cassell Publishing Co|location=New York|isbn=9783741890109}}

{{wikisource|Author:Mary Jane Serrano|Mary J. Serrano}}

{{Reflist|30em}}

• {{Gutenberg author|id=918}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Serrano, Mary Jane}}

Category:1840s births

Category:1923 deaths

Category:People from Castlebar

Category:American translators

Category:Translators of Émile Zola

Category:American writers

Category:Irish writers