Eliot Weinberger
Encyclopedia
Eliot Weinberger is a contemporary American
writer, essayist, editor
, and translator
. His work regularly appears in translation and has been published in some thirty languages. Collections of his essays have most recently appeared in Russia, Albania, Flemish Belgium, Spain and Germany.
Weinberger first gained recognition for his translations of the Nobel Prize winning writer and poet Octavio Paz
. His many translations of the work of Paz include the Collected Poems 1957-1987, In Light of India, and Sunstone. Among Weinberger's other translations are Vicente Huidobro
's Altazor, Xavier Villaurrutia
's Nostalgia for Death, and Jorge Luis Borges
' Seven Nights. His edition of Borges’ Selected Non-Fictions received the National Book Critics Circle Award
for criticism.
Today, Weinberger is primarily known for his literary writings (essays) and political articles, the former characterized by their experimental style, verging on a kind of documentary prose poetry, and the latter highly critical of American politics and foreign policy, particularly during the Bush administration.
, Weinberger's books of literary writings include Works on Paper, Outside Stories, Written Reaction, Karmic Traces, The Stars, Muhammad, the "serial essay" An Elemental Thing, which was selected by the Village Voice as one of the "20 Best Books of the Year," and, in 2009, Oranges & Peanuts for Sale.
His political articles are collected in 9/12, What I Heard About Iraq, and What Happened Here: Bush Chronicles, a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle
award for criticism and selected for the Times Literary Supplement’s "International Books of the Year." The Guardian (UK) said of What I Heard About Iraq: "Every war has its classic antiwar book, and here is Iraq’s." It has been adapted into a prize-winning theater piece, two cantatas, two prize-winning radio plays, a dance performance, and various art installations; it has appeared on some 100,000 websites, and was read or performed in nearly one hundred events throughout the world on 20 March 2006, the anniversary of the invasion.
A co-author of a study of Chinese poetry translation, 19 Ways of Looking at Wang Wei, Weinberger is the editor of Unlock by the exiled poet Bei Dao
, and of The New Directions Anthology of Classical Chinese Poetry, also a TLS "International Book of the Year." He is the editor of the anthologies American Poetry Since 1950: Innovators & Outsiders
and World Beat: International Poetry Now from New Directions.
In 1992, Weinberger was the first recipient of the PEN/Kolovakos Award
for his promotion of Hispanic literature in the U.S.. In 2000, Weinberger became the only U.S. literary writer to be awarded the Order of the Aztec Eagle
by the government of Mexico.He is prominently featured in the Visitor’s Key to Iceland, and was chosen by the German organization Dropping Knowledge
as one of a hundred "world’s most innovative thinkers." At the 2005 PEN
World Voices Festival, he was presented as a "post-national writer." He lives in New York City.
American literature
American literature is the written or literary work produced in the area of the United States and its preceding colonies. For more specific discussions of poetry and theater, see Poetry of the United States and Theater in the United States. During its early history, America was a series of British...
writer, essayist, editor
Editing
Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, and film media used to convey information through the processes of correction, condensation, organization, and other modifications performed with an intention of producing a correct, consistent, accurate, and complete...
, and translator
Translation
Translation is the communication of the meaning of a source-language text by means of an equivalent target-language text. Whereas interpreting undoubtedly antedates writing, translation began only after the appearance of written literature; there exist partial translations of the Sumerian Epic of...
. His work regularly appears in translation and has been published in some thirty languages. Collections of his essays have most recently appeared in Russia, Albania, Flemish Belgium, Spain and Germany.
Weinberger first gained recognition for his translations of the Nobel Prize winning writer and poet Octavio Paz
Octavio Paz
Octavio Paz Lozano was a Mexican writer, poet, and diplomat, and the winner of the 1990 Nobel Prize for Literature.-Early life and writings:...
. His many translations of the work of Paz include the Collected Poems 1957-1987, In Light of India, and Sunstone. Among Weinberger's other translations are Vicente Huidobro
Vicente Huidobro
Vicente García-Huidobro Fernández was a Chilean poet born to an aristocratic family. He was an exponent of the artistic movement called Creacionismo , which held that a poet should bring life to the things he or she writes about, rather than just describe them.Huidobro was born into a wealthy...
's Altazor, Xavier Villaurrutia
Xavier Villaurrutia
Xavier Villaurrutia y González was a Mexican poet and playwright, whose most famous works are the short theatrical dramas, called Autos profanos, compiled in the work Poesía y teatro completos published in 1953....
's Nostalgia for Death, and Jorge Luis Borges
Jorge Luis Borges
Jorge Francisco Isidoro Luis Borges Acevedo , known as Jorge Luis Borges , was an Argentine writer, essayist, poet and translator born in Buenos Aires. In 1914 his family moved to Switzerland where he attended school, receiving his baccalauréat from the Collège de Genève in 1918. The family...
' Seven Nights. His edition of Borges’ Selected Non-Fictions received the National Book Critics Circle Award
National Book Critics Circle Award
The National Book Critics Circle Award is an annual award given by the National Book Critics Circle to promote the finest books and reviews published in English....
for criticism.
Today, Weinberger is primarily known for his literary writings (essays) and political articles, the former characterized by their experimental style, verging on a kind of documentary prose poetry, and the latter highly critical of American politics and foreign policy, particularly during the Bush administration.
Life and work
Born in New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, Weinberger's books of literary writings include Works on Paper, Outside Stories, Written Reaction, Karmic Traces, The Stars, Muhammad, the "serial essay" An Elemental Thing, which was selected by the Village Voice as one of the "20 Best Books of the Year," and, in 2009, Oranges & Peanuts for Sale.
His political articles are collected in 9/12, What I Heard About Iraq, and What Happened Here: Bush Chronicles, a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle
National Book Critics Circle
The National Book Critics Circle is an American tax-exempt organization for active book reviewers. Its flagship is the National Book Critics Circle Award....
award for criticism and selected for the Times Literary Supplement’s "International Books of the Year." The Guardian (UK) said of What I Heard About Iraq: "Every war has its classic antiwar book, and here is Iraq’s." It has been adapted into a prize-winning theater piece, two cantatas, two prize-winning radio plays, a dance performance, and various art installations; it has appeared on some 100,000 websites, and was read or performed in nearly one hundred events throughout the world on 20 March 2006, the anniversary of the invasion.
A co-author of a study of Chinese poetry translation, 19 Ways of Looking at Wang Wei, Weinberger is the editor of Unlock by the exiled poet Bei Dao
Bei Dao
Bei Dao is the pseudonym of Chinese poet Zhao Zhenkai . He was born in Beijing, his pseudonym was chosen because he came from the north and because of his preference for solitude...
, and of The New Directions Anthology of Classical Chinese Poetry, also a TLS "International Book of the Year." He is the editor of the anthologies American Poetry Since 1950: Innovators & Outsiders
American Poetry Since 1950 (poetry anthology)
American Poetry Since 1950: Innovators and Outsiders is a 1993 poetry anthology edited by Eliot Weinberger. First published by Marsilio Publishers, it joined two other collections which appeared at that time: From the Other Side of the Century: "A New American Poetry, 1960-1990" and "Postmodern...
and World Beat: International Poetry Now from New Directions.
In 1992, Weinberger was the first recipient of the PEN/Kolovakos Award
Gregory Kolovakos Award
The Gregory Kolovakos Award is a literary award given every three years by PEN American Center to a U.S. literary translator, editor, or critic "whose work, in meeting the challenge of cultural difference, extends Gregory Kolovakos's commitment to the richness of Hispanic literature and to...
for his promotion of Hispanic literature in the U.S.. In 2000, Weinberger became the only U.S. literary writer to be awarded the Order of the Aztec Eagle
Order of the Aztec Eagle
The Order of the Aztec Eagle is a Mexican order and is the highest decoration awarded to foreigners in the country.It was created by decree on December 29, 1933 by President Abelardo L. Rodríguez as a reward to services given to Mexico or humankind by foreigners...
by the government of Mexico.He is prominently featured in the Visitor’s Key to Iceland, and was chosen by the German organization Dropping Knowledge
Dropping knowledge
Dropping Knowledge is a non-profit organization in the United States and Germany. In the US, Dropping Knowledge International is a project of the Tides Center, a non-profit fiscal sponsor and registered 5013. In Germany, Dropping Knowledge e.V. is an Eingetragener Verein...
as one of a hundred "world’s most innovative thinkers." At the 2005 PEN
International PEN
PEN International , the worldwide association of writers, was founded in London in 1921 to promote friendship and intellectual co-operation among writers everywhere....
World Voices Festival, he was presented as a "post-national writer." He lives in New York City.
Writings by the author
- Works on Paper (essays), New Directions (New York, NY), 1986.
- Nineteen Ways of Looking at Wang WeiWang WeiWang Wei , was a Tang Dynasty Chinese poet, musician, painter, and statesman. He was one of the most famous men of arts and letters of his time. Many of his poems are preserved, and twenty-nine were included in the highly influential 18th century anthology Three Hundred Tang Poems.-Name...
, Moyer-Bell (Wakefield, RI), 1987. - Outside Stories (essays), New Directions (New York, NY), 1992.
- (Editor) Una antologia de la poesia norteamericana desde 1950, Ediciones del Equilibrista (Mexico), 1992.
- (Editor) American Poetry Since 1950: Innovators and OutsidersAmerican Poetry Since 1950 (poetry anthology)American Poetry Since 1950: Innovators and Outsiders is a 1993 poetry anthology edited by Eliot Weinberger. First published by Marsilio Publishers, it joined two other collections which appeared at that time: From the Other Side of the Century: "A New American Poetry, 1960-1990" and "Postmodern...
, Marsilio Publishing, 1993. - Written Reaction: Poetics, Politics, Polemics (essays), Marsilio Publishing, 1996.
- Karmic Traces (essays), New Directions (New York, NY), 2000.
- (Editor) The New Directions Anthology of Classical Chinese Poetry, New Directions (New York, NY), 2003
- What I Heard About Iraq, Verso (London), 2005.
- What Happened Here: Bush Chronicles (essays), New Directions (New York, NY), 2005; Verso (London), 2006.
- Muhammad, Verso (New York, London), 2006
- (Editor)World Beat: International Poetry Now from New Directions, New Directions (New York, NY), 2006.
- An Elemental Thing (essays), New Directions (New York, NY), 2007.
- Oranges and Peanuts for Sale (essays), New Directions (New York, NY), 2009.
Editor and translator
- Octavio Paz, Eagle or Sun?, October House, 1970, revised edition, New Directions (New York, NY), 1976.
- Octavio Paz, A Draft of Shadows, New Directions (New York, NY), 1980.
- Homero AridjisHomero AridjisHomero Aridjis is a Mexican poet, novelist, environmental activist, journalist and diplomat known for his independence.-Family and Early Life:...
, Exaltation of Light, Boa Editions (Brockport, NY), 1981. - Octavio Paz, Selected Poems, New Directions (New York, NY), 1984.
- Jorge Luis Borges, Seven Nights, New Directions (New York, NY), 1984.
- Octavio Paz, The Collected Poems 1957-1987, New Directions (New York, NY), 1987, revised edition, 1991.
- Vicente HuidobroVicente HuidobroVicente García-Huidobro Fernández was a Chilean poet born to an aristocratic family. He was an exponent of the artistic movement called Creacionismo , which held that a poet should bring life to the things he or she writes about, rather than just describe them.Huidobro was born into a wealthy...
, Altazor, Graywolf (Minneapolis, MN), 1988, revised edition, Wesleyan University Press (Middletown, CT), 2003. - Octavio Paz, A Tree Within, New Directions (New York, NY), 1988.
- Octavio Paz, Sunstone, New Directions (New York, NY), 1991.
- Cecilia Vicuña, Unravelling Words and the Weaving of Water, Graywolf (Port Townsend, WA), 1992.
- Xavier VillaurrutiaXavier VillaurrutiaXavier Villaurrutia y González was a Mexican poet and playwright, whose most famous works are the short theatrical dramas, called Autos profanos, compiled in the work Poesía y teatro completos published in 1953....
, Nostalgia for Death, Copper Canyon PressCopper Canyon PressCopper Canyon Press is an independent, non-profit small press, specializing in the publication of poetry and located in the picturesque town of Port Townsend, Washington. Since 1972, the Press has published poetry exclusively and has established an international reputation for its commitment to...
(Port Townsend, WA), 1993. - Octavio Paz, In Light of India, Harcourt Brace (New York, NY), 1997.
- Octavio Paz, A Tale of Two Gardens, New Directions (New York, NY), 1997.
- Octavio Paz, An Erotic Beyond: SadeMarquis de SadeDonatien Alphonse François, Marquis de Sade was a French aristocrat, revolutionary politician, philosopher, and writer famous for his libertine sexuality and lifestyle...
, 1998. - Jorge Luis Borges, Selected Non-Fictions, Viking (New York, NY), 1999.
- Bei DaoBei DaoBei Dao is the pseudonym of Chinese poet Zhao Zhenkai . He was born in Beijing, his pseudonym was chosen because he came from the north and because of his preference for solitude...
, Unlock, New Directions (New York, NY), 2000. - Octavio & Marie-Jose Paz, Figures & Figurations, New Directions (New York, NY), 2002.
- The crafts of Mexico, edited by Margarita de Orellana, Alberto Ruy-Sánchez; guest editor, Eliot Weinberger. Smithsonian Books, (Washington), 2004.
- Bei DaoBei DaoBei Dao is the pseudonym of Chinese poet Zhao Zhenkai . He was born in Beijing, his pseudonym was chosen because he came from the north and because of his preference for solitude...
, The Rose of Time: New & Selected Poems, New Directions (New York, NY), 2010.
Further reading
- Boston ReviewBoston ReviewBoston Review is a bimonthly American political and literary magazine. The magazine covers, specifically, political debates, literature, and poetry...
, December, 2000/January, 2001, John Palattella, review of Karmic Traces, pp. 56–57. - Contemporary Authors, (Thomson Gale, 2004)
- The NationThe NationThe Nation is the oldest continuously published weekly magazine in the United States. The periodical, devoted to politics and culture, is self-described as "the flagship of the left." Founded on July 6, 1865, It is published by The Nation Company, L.P., at 33 Irving Place, New York City.The Nation...
, September 30, 2009, Scott Saul, review of An Elemental Thing and Oranges & Peanuts for Sale.
External links
- Profile at the Dropping KnowledgeDropping knowledgeDropping Knowledge is a non-profit organization in the United States and Germany. In the US, Dropping Knowledge International is a project of the Tides Center, a non-profit fiscal sponsor and registered 5013. In Germany, Dropping Knowledge e.V. is an Eingetragener Verein...
website - Eliot Weinberger exhibit at the Academy of American PoetsAcademy of American PoetsThe Academy of American Poets is a non-profit organization dedicated to the art of poetry. The Academy was incorporated as a "membership corporation" in New York State in 1934...
website - What I heard about Iraq Weinberger in the London Review of Books, 3 Feb 2005
- What I heard about Iraq in 2005 Weinberger in the London Review of Books 27 Dec 2005
- Notes on Susan Weinberger discusses Susan Sontag on the occasion of the posthumously published (2007) At the Same Time: Essays & Speeches by Susan Sontag
- WHAT WAS FORMALISM? this essay is an online reprint from an article published in 1998