Mark Shafer's book of Huerta translations is an altogether
bigger and more meditated undertaking, and what I've read of it looks
impressive. Mine's a slender booklet of just nine poems, the first three of
which are also included in his. I don't think I was aware of the overlap at the
time, or I'd have chosen other poems to translate. (My impression is that for
these 3 we're not that close but I don't have the book.)
Though there's a kind of sermonizing quality to it I don't
warm to, some passages of the Four Quartets strike me as enduringly
powerful and not like anything else - section II of Burnt Norton, III of
East Coker and V (at least until it reaches "For us, there is only the trying.
The rest is not our business"), I of The Dry Salvages... I wasn't really meaning
to assert a taste by calling it a modernist poem, but just to refer to the way
it's critically perceived. Perhaps there is a perception of Eliot
having renegued on Modernism - if so it's passed me by.
Best,
Jamie
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Saturday, January 21, 2012 1:26
AM
Subject: Re: Chris Hamilton Emery on the
elusive nature of a "poetry establishment"
I reread the quartets a couple of years ago because I suspected
it had been a source for a truly great devotional poem by Fina Garcia Marruz.
Turns out it wasn't. I had never particularly liked the poem, but I'm
not much of an Eliot fan in general. On this rereading it struck me as really
awful. But I never will understand other people's taste. I suppose it's
modernist in the same sense as Stravinsky's Pulchinella. Neoclassicism as
modernism.
I'll backchannel. Do you know Mark Schafer's Huerta
translations?
-----Original
Message-----
From: Jamie McKendrick <[log in to unmask]>
Sent:
Jan 20, 2012 7:14 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject:
Re: Chris Hamilton Emery on the elusive nature of a "poetry establishment"
I'd second your description of David Huerta - as poet and
person. I'd likewise welcome the chance to read your Lezama, Kozer, Espina,
and would be glad to send you the chapbook if you b/c me your
address.
I'm also grateful for this list of other
neobarrocos and will order Medusario - some reasonable prices seem
to be there on Amazon .
A propos the 4 Quartets - I suppose it needs the
qualifier 'late' - but with that addition plenty have considered it a
'late modernist poem', even a 'late modernist masterpiece'.
Best,
Jamie
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Friday, January 20, 2012 10:07
PM
Subject: Re: Chris Hamilton Emery on
the elusive nature of a "poetry establishment"
Wow. I'd love to see your versions of David. He's a real
sweetheart, and his best work is great.
The neobarroco, with which
David's affiliated, has been in the forefront in Latin America since the
late 70s, and in Cuba since 1939ish. But there's a lot of work that
doesn't easily fit into it that's still pretty surprising. I've translated
several of the neobarroco, Lezama, Kozer, Espina among them. It's
worth looking at Jaime Saenz (off the top of my head), Zurita, Pizarnik,
Viel Temperlay, I could go on. A good place to get a quick overview of the
neobarroco is the now a generation-old anthology Medusario, if you can
find a reasonably-priced copy.
-----Original
Message-----
From: Jamie McKendrick
<[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Jan 20, 2012 3:52 PM
To:
[log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Chris Hamilton Emery
on the elusive nature of a "poetry establishment"
> I can't see how anyone would consider The 4
Quartets a modernist poem.
I obviously don't perceive the same borders but
fair enough - it's the first time I've seen the mainstream conceded a
major poem. Not my favourite Eliot - but I'll take it.
As for Spanish - you have to start
somewhere but I'm beginning to read mas de ultramar, and have
translated the Mexican David Huerta (for a chapbook published by the
Poetry Translation Centre).
Best,
Jamie
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Friday, January 20, 2012
8:14 PM
Subject: Re: Chris Hamilton Emery
on the elusive nature of a "poetry establishment"
A couple of things. I mean the end of the decade.
Auden's presence and the ascendancy of "The Fugitives" played a big
role in the US.
I can't see how anyone would consider The 4
Quartets a modernist poem.
Contemporary Spanish poetry is for
the most part pretty bad. Contemporary Spanish language poetry is
another matter, and it's by far the larger
field.
Best,
Mark
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