The greatness of Polish poetry
As you know if you read my events list, Adam Zagajewski is reading in Hyde Park tonight, as part of the Poem Present series. Here’s the full notice:
POEM PRESENT
Reading and Lecture SeriesADAM ZAGAJEWSKI
READING: WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24
Franke Institute for the Humanities
Regenstein Library, 1100 E. 57th Street
6:00pm (note time)*A reception will follow the reading
POEM PRESENT is pleased to have the opportunity to present a reading by Professor Adam Zagajewski, who joined the faculty of The Committee on Social Thought this Fall.
Adam Zagajewski lives in Krakow and Chicago. His collections in English translation include Tremor (1985), Canvas (1991), Mysticism for Beginners (1997), Another Beauty (2000), and the anthology Without End (2002). Among his books of essays are Solidarity, Solitude (1986, tr. 1989) and Two Cities (1991, tr. 1995). Zagajewski has also written several novels, in addition to editing Polish Writers on Writing (Trinity University Press, 2007). His most recent collection of poems, Eternal Enemies, will be published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
You know how I feel about Zagajewski. Milosz is dead. Herbert is dead. Szymborska is still writing but now 80 years old. I don’t think you’ll have many more chances to witness the greatness of twentieth-century Polish poetry in person.
Someday soon I’ll post about his reading last week at the ALSC conference, in which he read alongside Reginald Gibbons and Mary Kinzie. But tonight is all Zagajewski.
November 27th, 2007 17:44
how about Halina Poswiatowska (also dead)?
December 29th, 2007 10:52
I did not know of Halina Poswiatowska until right this very instant. Thanks – I’ll check her out.