Tomaž Šalamun Book order

An authoritative volume representing the vast oeuvre of one of the twentieth century's most brilliant and visionary poets. Widely regarded as some of the most important and innovative poetry from postwar Europe, Tomaz Salamun's work offers a singularly thrilling reading experience. Sharp and subtle, Salamun's rhythms intertwine with an incantatory force; his prescient, liberatory politics and poetics pulse like a heartbeat. In Kiss the Eyes of Peace, the histories of Slovenia, the former Yugoslavia, and Europe are broken into kaleidoscopic harmonies of terror and joy: friends and family talk to each other under the sun as snow, apples, and deer mingle with blood and bones, with salt and cabbage, with gold, silk, and wine, and with God and heaven in the sand and grass. "Love tore apart all my theories," writes Salamun. His oracular poems, suffused with mystic pronouncements that confound and delight, are as moving as they are eerie. And yet, if "every true poet is a monster," Salamun's profound imagination also offers us peace--grace, even--in the wildness and wilderness of his art: "May everything erupt on a clear day, just as it is, / into sacredness and the beauty of the gift: life." Translated from the Slovenian and curated by esteemed author and translator Brian Henry, this expansive arrangement is the first of its kind to offer a comprehensive English-language retrospective of Salamun's storied career.

Opera Buffa is Tomaz Salamun's last testament. It is a book rooted in torn landscapes of Central Europe and the Mediterranean. Crafted from place and power, these poems are fragments of collective memory. "There are hands, inside. Concordance rises / There are no foodstuffs. There's no branch." These are poems that examine what is tender and terrible in the world, ranging from the extrajudicial civil massacres of partisans during and after the Second World War, to the prejudicial violence carried out in twenty-first-century Europe against people forced to migrate from the Middle East, North Africa, and India. Opera Buffa witnesses anarchical plutocracy, climate catastrophe, and so much more. "Do you feel the footsteps?/ Do you feel the approach?" This is Opera Buffa.

Assembled using recorded conversations with the Slovenian poet Tomaz Salamun, this book-length poem by Joshua Beckman spans the first forty years of Salamun's life in his own words. -- Tomaz Salamun

Renowned for his influence on the Eastern European avant-garde, Tomaz Salamun's poetry blends surrealism, polyphony, and absurdism. In this posthumous collection, he showcases his unique mastery of sound and unexpected twists, exploring the complexities of humanity through sharp, vivid imagery against a backdrop of chaos and violence. Salamun's innovative approach defies conventional logic, leaving a lasting impact on the literary world. His work embodies a profound sense of beauty and justice, reflecting a remarkable artistic legacy.

Exploring themes of ambition and surprise, this collection of poems delves into encounters with the devil, offering deep insights and reflections. Tomaž Šalamun's work is characterized by its exuberance, inviting readers to engage with complex emotions and vivid imagery. Each poem presents a unique perspective, making for an intriguing and thought-provoking reading experience.

This collection features selected poems presented in English, showcasing a diverse range of themes and styles. The volume highlights the beauty and depth of poetic expression, inviting readers to explore the nuances of language and emotion. Each poem offers a unique perspective, making it a significant addition to contemporary poetry collections.

Tomaž Šalamun was one of the most influential and prolific poets in Central Europe over the past few decades. Thanks to the translation of his work, he also received wide international acclaim. A number of volumes of his poetry have been published in English, yet A Ballad for Metka Krašovec, originally published in Ljubljana, Slovenia, in 1981 at the mid-point of Šalamun’s career, is considered to be seminal in his oeuvre, not least for the influence it has had on younger poets both in his home country and abroad. The first time a complete single volume of Šalamun’s poetry was published in English translation, it is characterized by often striking imagery and a sexual turmoil that is pervasive, offering readers a unique opportunity to glimpse the author at a particular stage in his life and creative development. A Ballad for Metka Krašovec ranges from the incantatory and gnomic to reflections on Šalamun's lovers, family, and country to narrative-style recollections of stays in Mexico and the United States.

To read Tomaalamun is to understand the delights of contemporary poetry. He is one of the major names in the international avant-garde. Irreverent, self-mythologizing, tragic, and visionary, he is a poet of immense range and cunning, able to encompass everything from Balkan wars and politics to the most intimate personal experiences. Feast, his latest collection in English, brings together both early and more recent work. "Realism, surrealism, song. Aphorisms, lyric, anti-lyric," as Jorie Graham wrote, are all to be found in these poems. Here is the most blasphemous of poets who is also a great religious poet. "Throw open a window, pull up a chair, and enjoy the imaginative feast" (Edward Hirsch).