R.J. Dent's Blog, page 12
August 3, 2013
Alcaeus in Pompeii
Two signed and dated copies of the Poems & Fragments of Alcaeus (Translated by R J Dent) are now available in the bookshop at the historic site of Pompeii in Italy.
R J Dent visited the historic site in July 2013 and signed copies of Alcaeus: Poems & Fragments for customers in the bookshop.
According to staff, only two of the signed copies are still available.
R J Dent visited Pompeii bookshop during part of his Italian tour, which included Sorrento, Pompeii, Herculaneum, Mount Vesuvius, and Naples.
More information on R J Dent’s bookshop signings, book tours, publications and current projects is available at http://www.rjdent.com
February 11, 2013
Alcaeus in Santorini
Copies of the Poems & Fragments of Alcaeus, translated into English by the poet and novelist R J Dent, and published by Circaidy Gregory Press, have found their way to Atlantis Books in Santorini.
Atlantis Books is a truly amazing bookshop. It’s on the Main Marble Road in Oia, Santorini. Inside, it’s a bilbiophile’s treasure-trove.
Alcaeus’s Poems & Fragments has managed to make its way across the world and onto a shelf of Greek poetry in Atlantis Books. It’s almost as though Alcaeus has gone home.
Here’s Alcaeus alongside Philip Sherrard, Dionysios Solōmos, Arthur Machen, and other distinguished Greek and Anglo-Greek authors and scholars.
Atlantis Books in Oia, Santorini, is one of the bibliophile wonders of the world. There is no other bookshop quite like it.
It’s fitting that Alcaeus: Poems & Fragments is now available to lovers of Greek poetry and Greek literature – on a Greek island as beautiful as Santorini, and in a bookshop as unique as Atlantis Books.
Alcaeus: Poems & Fragments, translated into English by R J Dent.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Alcaeus-Fragments-R-J-Dent/dp/1906451532/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_3
Circaidy Gregory Press, Hastings, Sussex, UK.
http://www.circaidygregory.co.uk/
Atlantis Books, Main Marble Road, Oia, Santorini. Cyclades, Greece.
R J Dent.
December 13, 2012
The Next Big Thing Interview with R J Dent
The Next Big Thing, for those who don’t yet know, is a way to network with fellow writers and to find out a bit more about what they’re working on. The idea is fairly simple. The writer answers a set of questions on his or her blog one week, and then invites five other authors to answer the same questions the following week. They in turn invite five more.
R J Dent is a poet, novelist, translator, essayist, short story writer, blogger, researcher and creative writing tutor. His published works include a novel, Myth; translations of Charles Baudelaire’s The Flowers of Evil & Artificial Paradise; of Le Comte de Lautréamont’s The Songs of Maldoror; of Alcaeus’s Poems & Fragments; a Gothic novella, Deliverance; a poetry collection, Moonstone Silhouettes, and various stories, articles, essays, poems, etc, in a wide range of magazines, periodicals and journals, including Orbis, Philosophy Now, Acumen and Writer’s Muse.
R J Dent was invited to take part in this by Catherine Edmunds.
What is the title of your new book?
How did you choose the title?
It’s a fairly functional title – it tells you exactly what it is without any frills. I could have had something more poetic, such as Wine and Exile: The Poems & Fragments of Alcaeus, but I was after immediate clarity. It’s certainly very clear what the book is; it’s Alcaeus: Poems & Fragments, Translated into English by R J Dent.
Location: The narrator of the poems lives (for the most part) on the Island of Lesbos (Mytilene) in the Aegean Sea.
Character and theme: There is a whole cast of characters, from the tyrant Pittacus, to the Lesbian hermit, Omnocales. The poems deal with all of the major themes, from love, politics, exile, wine, to the beauty of Greece.
Where did the idea for the book come from?
Although I wear a lot of literary hats, I’m primarily a novelist, a poet and a translator. I’ve translated several French classics: Charles Baudelaire’s The Flowers of Evil, and Le Comte de Lautreamont’s The Songs of Maldoror, and I wanted my next translation to be something from the classical era.
Once I found out that Alcaeus was considered to be as good a poet as his friend and rival, Sappho, I wanted to read his poems. After discovering he wasn’t available in English, I set about translating all of his available poems.
What genre does your book fall under?
It’s a modern English translation of classical or ancient Greek poetry. So Classics/Poetry would be the library label.
What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie rendition?
Sam Rockwell could play Alcaeus, Kirsten Dunst could be Sappho and Ben Cross could be Pittacus.
Who has published your book?
Circaidy Gregory Press, a small independent publishing house based in Hastings, England.
What other books would you compare Alcaeus: Poems & Fragments to within the genre?
It’s similar in its intention to Stung with Love: Poems and Fragments of Sappho and If Not, Winter: Fragments of Sappho.
Who or what inspired you to write this book?
My initial inspiration was the discovery that Alcaeus was considered to be as good a poet as Sappho, but was not available in English. I felt the injustice of that: far too many good writers vanish into obscurity. I read Alcaeus’ poetry and realised how good a poet he was. I wanted to try and rehabilitate him – make his poems and fragments available to English readers.
What else about the book might pique a reader’s interest?
It’s the only English translation of Alcaeus’ Poems & Fragments. It could be an ideal Christmas present for a classics scholar or historian. A recent review stated: ‘R J Dent’s gem of a book is a real find’, which I though was quite a nice thing to say about it, especially as it’s the only English translation of the poems and fragments.
What is a one sentence synopsis of your book?
This English translation of Alcaeus: Poems & Fragments from ancient Greek into lively modern English is R J Dent’s attempt to rescue Alcaeus’s ethereal poetry from undeserved obscurity.
R J Dent’s official website is http://www.rjdent.com/
R J Dent’s author facebook page is: http://www.facebook.com/rjdentwriter?v=wall
The following writers are continuing the tour. Do visit their blogs in due course to see their responses to the questions:
Joe Fearn
Nathan Wiseman-Trowse
Amanda Hodgson
John Denny
David Antrobus
November 18, 2012
Alcaeus, Sappho and the Isle of Lesbos: A Waterstones talk by R J Dent
R J Dent and the cover of his translation of Alcaeus: Poems & Fragments
R J Dent, poet, novelist and the translator of the ancient Greek Poems & Fragments of Alcaeus, gave a talk on Alcaeus, Sappho and the Isle of Lesbos at Waterstones Hastings on Thursday 20th September at 6pm.
R J Dent and a print of Lawrence Alma-Tadema’s Sappho and Alcaeus, used for the cover of Alcaeus: Poems & Fragments
R J Dent has translated the ancient Greek poems and fragments of Alcaeus into modern English. Alcaeus: Poems & Fragment (ISBN: 978-1-906451-53-0) is published by Circaidy Gregory Press and is available in paperback or ebook format from R J Dent’s Amazon page:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/R.-J.-Dent/e/B0034Q3RD4/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_2
Alcaeus: Poems & Fragments – translated by R J Dent
http://www.circaidygregory.co.uk/alcaeus.htm
Alcaeus: Poems & Fragments, translated into modern English by R J Dent:
For further information contact:
http://www.facebook.com/rjdentwriter
November 11, 2012
R J Dent at the Books Born in Hastings book fair
R J Dent at the Books Born in Hastings book fair, Saturday October 6th 2012
R J Dent was at the Books Born in Hastings book fair on Saturday 6th October 2012.
R J Dent’s book stall at the Books Born in Hastings book fair
The book fair was held in Hastings Town Hall and it opened at 10.30am and closed at 2.30pm.
Several renowned writers and artists attended.
R J Dent made a short film of the event:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4v5zleISnZI&feature=plcp
R J Dent’s books, including his poetry collections, novels and translations are available from Amazon:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/R.-J.-Dent/e/B0034Q3RD4/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_2
October 2, 2012
R J Dent at Books Born in Hastings – 10.30am-2.30pm on Saturday 6th October 2012
R J Dent will be available to answer questions and sign books at the Books Born in Hastings Book Fair at 10.30am-2.30pm on Saturday 6th October 2012…
September 10, 2012
Alcaeus, Sappho and the Isle of Lesbos: A talk by R J Dent
Alcaeus, Sappho and the Isle of Lesbos by R J Dent
R J Dent, poet, novelist and the translator of the ancient Greek Poems & Fragments of Alcaeus, invites you to his talk on Alcaeus, Sappho and the Isle of Lesbos at Waterstones Hastings on Thursday 20th September at 6pm.
R J Dent has translated the ancient Greek poems and fragments of Alcaeus into modern English. Alcaeus: Poems & Fragment (ISBN: 978-1-906451-53-0) is published by Circaidy Gregory Press and is available in paperback or ebook format.
Alcaeus: Poems & Fragments – translated by R J Dent
http://www.circaidygregory.co.uk/alcaeus.htm
Alcaeus: Poems & Fragments, translated into modern English by R J Dent:
For further information contact:
http://www.facebook.com/rjdentwriter
R J Dent looks forward to seeing you at:
Waterstones
15-16 Kings Walk
Hastings
TN34 1PH
at 6pm
September 1, 2012
Alcaeus: Poems & Fragments book launch – 31st August 2012
The Poems & Fragments of Alcaeus, translated into modern English by R J Dent, and published by Circaidy Gregory Press, was launched at the Redroaster Coffee House in Brighton, UK, on Friday 31st August.
Introduced by poet, reviewer and cultural critic, Joe Fearn, R J Dent gave a short presentation on Alcaeus’s original poetry, on Alcaeus’s friendship and rivalry with Sappho, and on the current state of the papyrus originals of Alcaeus’s poetry:
R J Dent then read several of Alcaeus’s Poems & Fragments, including poems on exile, Lesbos, wine, politics, and love.
Finally, R J Dent hosted a Q and A session, answering some challenging questions from the audience:
Greek food and refreshments were provided by Tim and Caroline of the Redroaster Coffee House.
R J Dent’s English translation of the ancient Greek Poems & Fragments of Alcaeus is now available as a paperback book and in all ebook formats:
http://www.circaidygregory.co.uk/alcaeus.htm
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Alcaeus-Fragments-R-J-Dent/dp/1906451532/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_3
More information on R J Dent’s novels, short stories, poetry collections and translations is at:
August 16, 2012
Alcaeus: Poems & Fragments book launch – 7.45pm-9.30pm on Friday 31st August…
Authors R J Dent, Kay Green and Joe Fearn cordially invite you to the official book launch of:
Alcaeus: Poems & Fragments, translated into modern English by R J Dent: (www.rjdent.com and http://www.circaidygregory.co.uk/alcaeus.htm)
and
The Hastings Modern Art Beach Book by Kay Green and Joe Fearn and illustrated by Katherine Reekie
(http://www.earlyworkspress.co.uk/hmodart.htm)
at 7.45pm-9.30pm on Friday 31st August
at the Redroaster Coffee House
1d St. James’s Street
Brighton BN2 1RE
Tel: 01273 686668
Website: http://www.redroaster.co.uk
For further information contact:
http://www.facebook.com/rjdent#!/groups/2375323561/
The authors look forward to seeing you there…
May 14, 2012
Review of Alcaeus: Poems & Fragments
Alcaeus : Poems & Fragments, Translated by R J Dent.
A review by Joe Fearn in the Hastings Online Times: http://hastingsonlinetimes.co.uk/arts-culture/creative-writing/a
R J Dent is a poet, novelist, translator, essayist and short story writer who read at the much missed F-ishtales poetry readings at F-ish Art Gallery in Hastings . His modern English translation of the poems of the Greek lyric poet Alcaeus is available in July from Hastings based Circaidy Gregory Press and is reviewed by Joe Fearn.
REVIEW:
On the back cover of R J Dent’s book, Peter Levi is quoted as saying of Alcaeus
“His poetry smells of vine-leaves and the sea.”
It made me wonder what my own poetry smells of, wet dogs in a dry room maybe. The folk singer Ray Hearne once told me that poetry may be read out in ballet shoes or pit boots. I quoted this to poet Peter Sansom who said he always tried for tennis shoes. I mention this because the poems and fragments in this book are of the ballet shoes variety. This is not to say that they are slight and have no resonance, for example the poem that begins:
Let us drink! Why do we wait for the lamps?
There is only a fraction of day left.
Friends, take down the large decorated cups.
Reminds me of the Yorkshire ditty:
Beer! Beer! We want more Beer!
Everyone is cheerin’
Get the chuffin’ beer in!
Alcaeus is under no illusions about drink
Wine, dear boy, and truth,
for wine is a peep-hole into a man.
And later
…and if wine shackles his wits…
Ever wondered why imbibers become so loud?
It is almost a custom
here on the mountain
in the deep silence
to make a huge din,
a great noise.
Very Arthur Schopenhauer, who insisted that silence worries most people.
Alcaeus was born into an aristocratic family circa 625 BCE, and lived in Mytilene, the largest city on the Greek island of Lesbos. Mention Lesbos and one’s mind immediately turns to the “Violet-haired, pure, honey-smiling Sappho” as Alcaeus described her (according to Wikipedia). R J Dent remarks that Alcaeus’s poetry is often overshadowed by the literary reputation of Sappho, his fellow poet and compatriot.
The appendix thankfully has a glossary of people and places, essential for the reader’s attempt to understand the poems and fragments. It includes Onomacles, a Lesbian hermit. These were rum times indeed.
One of the great delights to be had in reading this book is that it harks back to a past world of gods and heroes, set in a typically Hellenic fact-value continuum, which we may contrast with the modern commonly held fact-value distinction that influences some modern poetry. Alcaeus writes
The cold wave carries Sisyphus
along to the river bend.
Zeus and the blessed gods
watch as you toil, calling down curses
while making yourself a ship
which you will drag down to the sea.
It is my guess from the tone of the poem that Alcaeus might have written
“…and the other gods…” alluding to their callousness, if not for sounding disrespectful; gods of course are guiltless.
It is important to understand what this little gem of a book is about. It would be silly to read it in order to see how to write poetry. For that you would be better off subscribing to a modern poetry magazine listed on http://www.poetrymagazines.org.uk/
Alcaeus’s poems and fragments are lyrical songs, most of which are monodies; lyric poetry sung by a single performer, written in this case to be accompanied by the music of a lyre. Many of these poems and fragments are concerned with the politics and personal tenure of the times. He also writes about contemporary personalities, as well as love songs, drinking songs and hymns to various gods.
R J Dent’s book is quite a find. There is no other published translation of Alcaeus’s poems and fragments in existence. In many ways it reminds me of ‘The Blue and Brown Books’ compiled from notes made by the students of the philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein. Both contain fragments and aphorisms that continue to illuminate and delight.
Alcaeus: Poems & Fragments
Translated by R J Dent (Circaidy Gregory Press) 2012. price £7.49
www.circaidygregory.co.uk
R J Dent’s Amazon page can be found at: http://www.amazon.co.uk/R.-J.-Dent
Follow R J Dent’s work on:
Blog: http://rjdent.wordpress.com/
twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/RJDent
facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/R-J-Dent/344369095423?v=wall
youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/rjdent69?feature=mhum#p/a/u/0/CmnYHWJqQK4
Other works: www.rjdent.com
