Helene Cardona's Blog - Posts Tagged "child"
A Glorious Review of The Abduction by Ron Starbuck, Saint Julian Press Book Reviews
"Hélène Cardona’s masterful translation of The Abduction by French-Syrian poet Maram Al-Masri contains luminescent pages where readers will traverse tidal currents of raw emotion, passionate love, and the sting of separation. Unfurled through motifs of motherhood, nascent innocence, the ache of parting, and the fragility of
memory, the verses offer a rare glimpse into the psyche of a mother torn from her offspring. This collection of poems is a sacred remembrance, reminding the reader of our deep connections between a parent and child and within the family. And the deep sorrows we face when those connections are sundered unexpectedly."
--Julian Press Book Reviews:
http://www.saintjulianpress.com/the-a...
memory, the verses offer a rare glimpse into the psyche of a mother torn from her offspring. This collection of poems is a sacred remembrance, reminding the reader of our deep connections between a parent and child and within the family. And the deep sorrows we face when those connections are sundered unexpectedly."--Julian Press Book Reviews:
http://www.saintjulianpress.com/the-a...
An Evening with White Pine Press: Celebrating its 50th Anniversary
I'll be reading from The Abduction, my new translation of Maram Al Masri:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
https://helenecardona.com/translations
https://www.whitepine.org/the-abduction
Celebrate the 50th anniversary of White Pine Press at Beyond Baroque! Established in 1973, White Pine Press has been at the forefront in bringing the rich diversity of world literature to the English speaking audience. Publishing poetry, fiction, essays, and literature in translation from around the world. Join Editor/Publisher Dennis Maloney alongside White Pine-published authors: Hélène Cardona, Tzveta Sofronieva, Yun Wang,
and Christopher Merrill for an evening of poetry readings including new and selected works. The evening will be hosted by poet and translator Gail Wronsky.
Beyond Baroque
681 Venice Blvd
Venice Beach
Los Angeles, CA 90291
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
https://helenecardona.com/translations
https://www.whitepine.org/the-abduction
Celebrate the 50th anniversary of White Pine Press at Beyond Baroque! Established in 1973, White Pine Press has been at the forefront in bringing the rich diversity of world literature to the English speaking audience. Publishing poetry, fiction, essays, and literature in translation from around the world. Join Editor/Publisher Dennis Maloney alongside White Pine-published authors: Hélène Cardona, Tzveta Sofronieva, Yun Wang,
and Christopher Merrill for an evening of poetry readings including new and selected works. The evening will be hosted by poet and translator Gail Wronsky.Beyond Baroque
681 Venice Blvd
Venice Beach
Los Angeles, CA 90291
Recommended review of The Abduction in The US Review of Books
Many thanks to The US Review of Books for the beautiful recommended review of The Abduction, my translation of Le Rapt by Maram Al Masri:
https://www.theusreview.com/reviews-1...
Book review by Nicole Yurcaba
"He has begun to speak to me
with his eight tiny teeth."
Opening with poems celebrating the wonder of new life, this collection explores birth, development, motherhood, and the terrifying experience of losing one’s child to an act of abduction. In this book, an empty house becomes a metaphor for a woman longing for her child: “A house like mine / may be hiding wounds / may be hiding stories.” These verses also explore the speaker’s harrowing emotional journey as she navigatse the present and potential future without her son. Additionally, the book provides readers with philosophical takes on what it truly means to love another person: “To love, it is to prepare yourself / to be abandoned.” At the same time, the speaker also questions why humans must love the way they do, given that the experience can transform into something utterly terrifying and painful.
These poems rely on minimalist forms and language to create a significantly deep message about what it is to lose the one person who shapes another person’s existence. The evocative images and emotions displayed in this book leave readers feeling the speaker’s pain and heartbreak. The collection also addresses socio-political issues like immigration, and it gives anecdotes that give readers a first-hand glimpse into the sense of otherness with which many immigrants live in their new homelands: “Immigrant / you will always be / in the crosshairs of suspicion.” These anecdotes speak loudly in an America rife with political tensions surrounding the issue. Thus, the collection transforms from a personal exploration of loss and grief into a larger conversation about one’s role in a new society. Poetry lovers who appreciate poems with a deeply personal yet socially conscious message will appreciate this book.
RECOMMENDED by the US Review
https://www.theusreview.com/reviews-1...
Book review by Nicole Yurcaba
"He has begun to speak to me
with his eight tiny teeth."
Opening with poems celebrating the wonder of new life, this collection explores birth, development, motherhood, and the terrifying experience of losing one’s child to an act of abduction. In this book, an empty house becomes a metaphor for a woman longing for her child: “A house like mine / may be hiding wounds / may be hiding stories.” These verses also explore the speaker’s harrowing emotional journey as she navigatse the present and potential future without her son. Additionally, the book provides readers with philosophical takes on what it truly means to love another person: “To love, it is to prepare yourself / to be abandoned.” At the same time, the speaker also questions why humans must love the way they do, given that the experience can transform into something utterly terrifying and painful.
These poems rely on minimalist forms and language to create a significantly deep message about what it is to lose the one person who shapes another person’s existence. The evocative images and emotions displayed in this book leave readers feeling the speaker’s pain and heartbreak. The collection also addresses socio-political issues like immigration, and it gives anecdotes that give readers a first-hand glimpse into the sense of otherness with which many immigrants live in their new homelands: “Immigrant / you will always be / in the crosshairs of suspicion.” These anecdotes speak loudly in an America rife with political tensions surrounding the issue. Thus, the collection transforms from a personal exploration of loss and grief into a larger conversation about one’s role in a new society. Poetry lovers who appreciate poems with a deeply personal yet socially conscious message will appreciate this book.
RECOMMENDED by the US Review
The Abduction is a World Literature Today's Notable Translation
The Abduction is a World Literature Today's Notable Translation:
https://www.worldliteraturetoday.org/...
https://www.worldliteraturetoday.org/...
The Abduction wins the 2024 Independent Press Award
The Abduction (my translation of Maram Al-Masri) wins the 2024 Independent Press Award:
https://www.independentpressaward.com...
https://www.independentpressaward.com...
