Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
Awarded the American-Scandinavian PEN Translation Prize by Michael Hamburger, Susanna Nied's translation of alphabet introduces Inger Christensen's poetry to US readers for the first time. Born in 1935, Inger Christensen is Denmark's best known poet. Her award-winning alphabet is based structurally on Fibonacci's sequence (a mathematical sequence in which each number is the sum of the two previous numbers), in combination with the alphabet. The gorgeous poetry herein reflects a complex philosophical background, yet has a visionary quality, discovering the metaphysical in the simple stuff of everyday life. In alphabet, Christensen creates a framework of psalm-like forms that unfold like expanding universes, while crystallizing both the beauty and the potential for destruction that permeate our times.
Synopsis
A startling and gorgeous work by Denmark's most admired poet finally available in English translation.
About the Author
Inger Christensen(b. 1935, Denmark) is such an important Danish writer that she is often cited as a possible winner of the Nobel Prize. Her works have been translated worldwide. She has written poetry, novels, plays, children's books and essays. In addition to the American-Scandinavian PEN Translation Prize, she has won the prestigious Nordic Prize of the Swedish Academy, Der sterreichische Staatspreis für Literature, and the Grand Prix des Biimp;quest;nnales Internationales de Posie.Susanna Nied's brilliant translation of alphabetwon the American-Scandinavian PEN Translation Prize.