2/03/2012

the opposite of a straight speaker

I remember being at a conference in Poland with American and Polish poets and somebody talked about Szymborska - a very well known American poet, fortunately I don't remember his name anymore - talked about her being a "straight speaker", and I just felt like slapping him, because she's the opposite of a straight speaker. She's a master of voice, and she listens to so many kinds of voices, and creates the illusion of "straight speech", but challenges what straight speech even is.

- Clare Cavanagh, English-language translator for Wisława Szymborska, introducing her close reading of Szymborska's "Identification", during a talk at the 92 Street Y in New York in March 2011. You can listen to the whole thing here.

It's a love-filled, insightful reading, touching on both Szymborska's particular skills and quirks, and on the challenges of translating her poetry. Give it a listen, ok?

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