The Wolf at the Door: A Poetic Cycle
Encyclopedia
The Wolf at the Door, by Bogomil Gjuzel
, is a book of poems written originally in Macedonian language
.
. The first appearance in English
of Republic of Macedonia
's major poet.
The first section, "A Search for Roots," deals with the politics and cultural landscape of the country, with beautiful portrayals of nature and religious monuments. The second section, "Staring at Infinity," refers to classical archetypes, the battle of Troy
and the story of Jesus
. The last section, "Naked Life," speaks of the family in the midst of violence, devastation and confusion. Illuminating notes clarify the complex politics of the region and its tortured history.
"Bogomil Gjuzel
[pronounced Dzyuzel] is the republic's greatest living poet. The publication of these fine translations illustrates how the sense of living in tragic times permeates Gjuzel's work. What makes these poems especially moving is their sense of impending doom, the increasing despair and hopelessness in the face of ever-new injustices and sufferings for which there's no easy answer... Only in lyric poetry, as fine as Gjuzel's, can a reliable historical record be found of what it is like to live with great evil."
~ From the Introduction by Charles Simic
Bogomil Gjuzel
-Biography:Born in 1939 in Čačak, Serbia, Gjuzel was the son of the Bulgarian revolutionary and philosopher Dimitar Gyuzelov. He graduated from the Department of English at the University of Skopje , in 1963, and spent an academic year at the University of Edinburgh as a British Council scholar,...
, is a book of poems written originally in Macedonian language
Macedonian language
Macedonian is a South Slavic language spoken as a first language by approximately 2–3 million people principally in the region of Macedonia but also in the Macedonian diaspora...
.
Synopsis
A search for roots, humanity and survival in the gloom of recent Balkan history, with illuminating notes and observations by the translator. Introduction by Charles SimicCharles Simic
Dušan "Charles" Simić is a Serbian-American poet, and was co-Poetry Editor of the Paris Review. He was appointed the fifteenth Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress in 2007.-Early years:...
. The first appearance in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
of Republic of Macedonia
Republic of Macedonia
Macedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...
's major poet.
Summary
A search for roots, humanity and survival in the gloom of recent Balkan history. Poems are in verse, but also arranged as prose poems.The first section, "A Search for Roots," deals with the politics and cultural landscape of the country, with beautiful portrayals of nature and religious monuments. The second section, "Staring at Infinity," refers to classical archetypes, the battle of Troy
Troy
Troy was a city, both factual and legendary, located in northwest Anatolia in what is now Turkey, southeast of the Dardanelles and beside Mount Ida...
and the story of Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
. The last section, "Naked Life," speaks of the family in the midst of violence, devastation and confusion. Illuminating notes clarify the complex politics of the region and its tortured history.
"Bogomil Gjuzel
Bogomil Gjuzel
-Biography:Born in 1939 in Čačak, Serbia, Gjuzel was the son of the Bulgarian revolutionary and philosopher Dimitar Gyuzelov. He graduated from the Department of English at the University of Skopje , in 1963, and spent an academic year at the University of Edinburgh as a British Council scholar,...
[pronounced Dzyuzel] is the republic's greatest living poet. The publication of these fine translations illustrates how the sense of living in tragic times permeates Gjuzel's work. What makes these poems especially moving is their sense of impending doom, the increasing despair and hopelessness in the face of ever-new injustices and sufferings for which there's no easy answer... Only in lyric poetry, as fine as Gjuzel's, can a reliable historical record be found of what it is like to live with great evil."
~ From the Introduction by Charles Simic
Charles Simic
Dušan "Charles" Simić is a Serbian-American poet, and was co-Poetry Editor of the Paris Review. He was appointed the fifteenth Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress in 2007.-Early years:...
Editions
- Translated with an Introduction, Notes and Afterword, by P. H. Liotta. Grand Terrace, CA: Xenos BooksXenos BooksXenos Books is a publishing company in Riverside, California that was founded in 1985 by Karl Kvitko and Verona Weiss. The company is known for publishing bilingual books, and modern American and foreign writers in translation.- Poetry :...
. ISBN 1-879378-45-0 (paper), 95 p.