In this ode to the earth and all its living creatures, French Djiboutian poet, novelist, and essayist Abdourahman A. Waberi sounds the alarm about our imperiled planet, where "the Sahel rises in you, in me / the Red Sea boils in you, in me / Nunvut is melting in you, in me." This translation by Nancy Naomi Carlson preserves the rich musicality of the original French, as well as its frequent use of wordplay and often unusual word choice.
Waberi, a nomad at heart, takes us on a whirlwind tour across North America, Africa, and Europe, daring us to love the earth "beyond all rational thought" and to "turn into earth, both literally and figuratively," as we "turn from vanity, fears, and other pointless rustling." These lyrical, playful, and moving poems urge us to look for the truth and beauty hidden in our daily lives, singing of Waberi's own enduring love for our endangered planet and also, more forcefully, exhorting us to join him in the collective fight to save our planet from destruction.
Rezensionen / Stimmen
"Lyrical and evocative, this newly published collection takes the reader on a journey throughout North America, Africa and Europe that encourages them to recognize the healing power of love in restoring the Earth."-Seattle Times "In this wonderful collection we encounter a poet who moves deftly from the political to the intimate with an impressive sense of play. There is a tone to the work, carried over into this remarkable translation, of the studied, sharp, witty, and yet poignant ways in which French language writers approach the world. From Derrida (yes, I think of him as a poet) to the engagement of Nganang, we see a lineage and skill and craft that make for the uniqueness of this tradition, and certainly of the lyric work in this collection. Abdourahman Waberi invites us into a deeply felt and artfully wrought collection. We are enriched for reading it."-Chris Abani, author of Smoking the Bible and Sanctificum
Reihe
Sprache
Verlagsort
Produkt-Hinweis
Maße
Höhe: 227 mm
Breite: 154 mm
Dicke: 6 mm
Gewicht
ISBN-13
978-1-4962-4135-1 (9781496241351)
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Schweitzer Klassifikation
Abdourahman A. Waberi is a poet, novelist, and essayist. He was born in what is now known as the Republic of Djibouti and is a major voice in African postcolonial studies. Waberi is the author of the novel In the United States of Africa (Bison Books, 2009) and has received a multitude of awards and honors, including a PEN France prize and, most recently, a medal from the French Academy. He is an associate professor of French at George Washington University. Nancy Naomi Carlson is a poet, translator, and essayist. She is the recipient of two translation grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and the winner of the 2022 Oxford-Weidenfeld Translation Prize. She is the author or translator of fifteen books, including her poetry collection Piano in the Dark and her translation of Samira Negrouche's poetry collection Solio.
Acknowledgments
Translator's Note
Dare to Turn into Earth
One Saturday in Virginia
Open Air
Wonder Train
Bas-relief-Three Images in One
A Touch of Salt on My Confession
In Sicily
Sahel! Sa(y) Hel(lo)
In Pennsylvania
Interlude
A Short Ballad to Lull the Horizon
Here I Am
Here Comes Summer
Kneading Love!
Every Being Is Unique
My Silence Told Me
It Won't Be Long
Soliloquy
Hairless Stumps
Taking Refuge
AfrokhoI sapiens: A pictoem in five scenes
Genesis
Fiat Lux
Transvaal
Thirst
Trance
After All
