Wednesday 13 January 2010

Postcard 61: Chris Kinsey, BBC Wildlife Poet & Greyhound Laureate


Above: Chris Kinsey reads from her book,
Kung Fu Lullabies
published by Ragged Raven Press

(photography: courtesy of Chris Kinsey)


Below: Greyhounds in the snow


I was delighted to receive a package from Romania this week. This time it was the special issue [Anul II - Nr.9 (14)/Nov.-Dec. 2009] of 'Contemporary Literary Horizon' magazine/'Contemporan Orizont Literar'. The publishing concern responsible for the venture is a media partner of MTTLC at the University of Bucharest. I am very grateful to Daniel Dragomirescu, editor-in-chief, and his team of translators: they do a terrific job in producing a publication that is always thought-provoking and highly 'international' in outlook.

The current issue contains features and poems from writers in Romania - of course - like Mihai Cantuniari (Director of CLH); from India (Vinisha Nambiar and Venkata Ramanan); from the USA (Michelle Brooks, Bert Rashbaum and Mike Essig); from Slovakia (Allan Stevo); from Nigeria (Abiola Olatunde); from Mexico (Marina Centeno) and from Australia (Mark William Jackson) ... to name but a selection.

Wales is not forgotten: this issue contains my interview, 'The Otherness of Creatures' with Greyhound Laureate and 2008 BBC Wildlife Poet of the Year, Chris Kinsey. My thanks go to Chris for her informative answers - and to Daniel for publishing them! If you are thinking of taking out a subscription to this innovative magazine from Romania, you will find a poem by Chris in English ('One February Night'), with a Romanian translation undertaken by Roxana Mindrican-DRĂGUŞIN. Thank you, Roxana.

There are a number of arresting pieces in this issue: I found myself pausing over a poem called 'At the Laundromat' by Mike Essig, mulling over the shades of whiteness, the stories, the silence... Daniel Dragomirescu has written a substantial review article, translated by Alina-Olimpia Miron, entitled 'Poetry and Logos', in which he touches on the part played by suffering in the creative process, with reference to Dr Theodor Damian (Philosophy & Ethics, Metropolitan College of NY and President of the Romanian Institute of Theology and Orthodox Spirituality, NY).

Why not visit the C&LH site: you will find out a bit more about the current state of international culture - from a Romanian perspective!


1 comment:

The Weaver of Grass said...

Thank you for this information Caroline - I shall follow it up. Thank you too for the greyhounds in the snow - they are such beautiful dogs and so graceful. I have always wanted a retired greyhound but as we have countless cats on the farm I am told it is not a good idea.