In which I let Rabassa and Barnstone duke it out about memory, error, and the ethics of translation

In his book If This Be Treason: Translation and Its Dyscontents, Gregory Rabassa asserts lots of interesting and valuable stuff, then this clinker on pp. 61-62: The completion of work is best done in translation, where the translator can work at things denied the author in his own language, even the way Saint Jerome mistakenly [...]

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Poem a day #30 Another Poem about Privilege

And here ends my National Poetry Month poem-a-day exercise. I did it—yeah! And yeah, too, for the month being over. Having to produce something every day has been amazing, and exhausting. I have a paper to finish now, so need the time I’d spend doing this. Last year I started poem a day and got, [...]

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Sonnet

Sonnet Terrance Hayes from Hip Logic We sliced the watermelon into smiles. We sliced the watermelon into smiles. We sliced the watermelon into smiles. We sliced the watermelon into smiles. We sliced the watermelon into smiles. We sliced the watermelon into smiles. We sliced the watermelon into smiles. We sliced the watermelon into smiles. We [...]

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for further thinking on poetry and privilege

For the white person who wants to know how to be my friend by Pat Parker The first thing you must do is to forget that i’m Black. Second, you must never forget that i’m Black. You should be able to dig Aretha, but don’t play her every time i come over. And if you [...]

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