The Book for My Brother - Paperback

by Tomaz Salamun (Author)

This newest collection of poems from Tomaz Salamun is exuberant, ambitious, and full of surprises. Here the devil is encountered and understood-

I see the devil's head, people, I see his whole body . . .
he longs for innocence, as we do.
Here the poet juggles many tones, languages, and countries. Desire is evoked as both frustrating and exhilarating-
I'm watered by longing, knocking my
head into the wall, on the ground, or I burn, burn,
folded up on the couch.
And memory comes back to remind us of the laws and experiences of childhood-
Once again you are let loose in the sea
only after five o'clock in the afternoon to take
a dose of sunlight like the ticking of the clock.

At once daring and clear-voiced, The Book for My Brother is an extraordinary achievement.

Back Jacket

This newest collection of poems from Tomaz Salamun is exuberant, ambitious and full of surprises. Here the devil is encountered and understood "I see the devil s head, people, I see his whole body he longs for innocence, as we do"; here the poet juggles many tones, languages and countries; desire is evoked as both frustrating and exhilarating "I m watered by longing, knocking my/ head into the wall, on the ground, or I burn, burn, / folded up on the couch"; and memory comes back to remind us of all the laws and experiences of childhood: "Once again you are let loose in the sea/ only after five o clock in the afternoon to take/ a dose of sunlight like the ticking of the clock." At once daring and clear-voiced, The Book for My Brother is an extraordinary achievement.
Bio: Tomaz Salamun has published more than thirty books of poetry. His work has been translated into almost every European language. He lives in Ljubljana, Slovenia.
Praise:
"One of the indispensable poets of the era...A poet whom one feels has a heart so open and an ear so pure, he might have answers in even the darkest times." --Jorie Graham
"The most celebrated Slovenian poet of his generation..his poems manifest a wry, deprecative humor, alternately acerbic and playful; a gift for remarkable images and detail, both surreal and quotidian; and an acute sensitivity to the astounding variety of the world and of history." --Boston Review
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