Today one hundred years ago the German novelist Karl May died. The importance of his work for any German-language adolescent growing up in the 20C was enormous (at least until the sixties/seventies when a series of bad movies ruined the imaginative hold the novels had). For me, young Luxembourgian sofa-bound reader, the 72 volumes of the “travel tales” represented the first truly nomadic moves — even if these happened as yet only in my … Read more Karl May (1842-1912)
Adrienne Rich: a major loss. See also her Pennsound page. “But the great dark birds of history screamed and plunged into our personal weather”
I have not been a great novel reader for a long time now, but Antonio Tabucchi — first discovered in Paris in the eighties when Christian Bourgois started publishing him in French — was & remains someone I read with pleasure. He is a supremely elegant, rather spare prose stylist, whose love for Portugal and — before all — the writings of poet Fernando Pessoa was so great that he not only moved … Read more Antonio Tabucchi (1943-2012)
Uri Avnery March 24, 2012 The Ghetto Within RACIST HATE crimes are particularly ugly. If the victims are children, they are even more so. If they are committed by an Arab against Jewish children, they are also incredibly stupid. This was demonstrated this week again. IF INDEED an Arab al-Qaeda sympathizer is guilty of shooting three Jewish children and an adult in Toulouse, after killing three non-white French soldiers … Read more Uri Avnery: The Ghetto Within
2 NEW YORK CITY EVENTS celebrating Negro marfil — Ivory Black by Mexican poet Myriam Moscona with translations by Jen Hofer published by Les Figues Press Saturday, March 24th, 7pm A multimedia celebration presenting new work created especiallyfor this event in response to Negro marfil / Ivory Black. Proteus Gowanus 543 Union Street Brooklyn, NY 11215 Featuring artwork, films, readings, & performances by: Armando Alanís Pulido (poet/photographer) Rachel Bers (visual artist) Julian … Read more Negro Marfil /Ivory Black
Nice big homage last August to Foley & his very large new book — nearly 1300 pages, two volumes — by Evan Karp in SFGate. Opening paras below: Jack Foley a rich chapter in Bay Area poetry scene Mathew Sumner / Special to the Chronicle Jack Foley, 71, took a decade to write his 1,300-page book, “Visions and Affiliations,” covering 65 years of Bay Area poets and poetry. If Jack … Read more Jack Foley’s “Big Boke”
Edward Foster: Over the years, Turkish writing has been an ongoing fascination 15 March 2012 / AYDOGAN VATANDAŞ, NEW YORK When “Summer’s End” by one of the most remarkable novelists in Turkey, Adalet Agaoğlu, was translated into English in 2009, I never forgot the name she mentioned: “This is all thanks to Edward Foster.” In America, he is a well-known poet, critic, essayist and editor whose works have been … Read more Ed Foster interview in Turkish Newspaper
Old friend & much admired Italian poet, novelist, avant-gardista in lit & politics, Nanni Balestrini, has just had a lovely homage/essay on Pierce Penniless. Here the opening paras: On a wall in a city in Italy is scrawled a graffito: ‘Leggete Nanni Balestrini’ – ‘Read Nanni Balestrini’. It brings you up short: an imprecation to read an avant-garde novelist is not something you often see written in spray-paint. Graffiti is … Read more On Nanni Balestrini
Press release by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research 03/09/2012 Greenland ice sheet may melt completely with 1.6 degrees global warming The Greenland ice sheet is likely to be more vulnerable to global warming than previously thought. The temperature threshold for melting the ice sheet completely is in the range of 0.8 to 3.2 degrees Celsius global warming, with a best estimate of 1.6 degrees above pre-industrial levels, … Read more Greenland Ice Sheet : The Big Meltdown?