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The birth of a major European poet is often heralded long after the fact by his or her emergence into the American poetic consciousness. The rapturous reception that has awaited Nikola Madzirov as he has travelled the US has only served to confirm what many already knew – Macedonia has produced a poet whose significance is undeniable, and whose gift is indelible. Nikola Madzirov is a poet who can look eye to eye with the great figures of the 20th century, he is one of our generations luminaries. His poetry is deft, sure and canny, he wields a wry and wise and often elusive aesthetic and while Peter Boyle has rightly traced his line back to Vasko Popa, Milosz, Herbert & Zagajewski, his voice is absolutely his own, absolutely of this generation. It is apt to leave the final words on Madzirov to Adam Zagajewski himself – “Madzirov’s poems are like Expressionist paintings: filled with thick, energetic streaks they seem to emerge from the imagination and to return to it right away, like night animals caught in the headlights of a car. “We are the remnants of another age” — Nikola Madzirov succeeds in convincing us.” For the 58th edition of Maintenant, we are very pleased to welcome our first Macedonian poet. http://www.3ammagazine.com/3am/maintenant-58-nikola-madzirov/ Accompanying the interview are five of Nikola's poems, translated translated by Peggy and Graham W. Reid, Magdalena Horvat and Adam Reed taken from the book Remnants of Another Age published by BOA Editions http://www.amazon.com/Remnants-Another-Lannan-Translations-Selection/dp/1934414506 http://www.3ammagazine.com/3am/five-poems-nikola-madzirov/ Some more of Nikola's poems have recently appeared in the latest issues of "American Poetry Review" and "The Wolf" poetry magazine, and the poem "After Us" was just announced as a poem of a day in US by the Academy of American Poets - poets.org: http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/22185?utm_source=poemaday_041811&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=content&utm_term=poemaday_smith_related