Unlikely Stories is proud to present an excerpt from Swimming in the Ground, an anthology of modern Hungarian poetry. Swimming in the Ground was translated, edited and compiled by Michael Castro and Gabor G. Gyukics, and features some of the most exciting and innovative poets writing in Hungarian today. Published by Neshui Publishing, Swimming in the Ground is available from Buy.com.
Our selections from Swimming in the Ground were written by:
JANOS MARNO (born 1949, Budapest): Janos has published eight volumes of poetry and a book of essays, and translated works by Paul Celan. From 1967-1980, he silenced himself due to political discrimination. He has won the Jozsef Attila prize, the Dery prize, and the Soros Life Achievement award.
LASZLO BERTOK (born 1935, Vese, Hungary): A poet and librarian, he spent several months in prison because of his poetry in 1955. He's been a contributing editor of Jelenkor since 1975 and received Jozsef Attila prize in 1982. He's published eleven volumes of poetry and four books of biographies.
OTTO ORBAN (born 1936, Budapest): Otto pursued Hungarian and Library studies at Eotvos Lorand University. He won the Jozsef Attila prize in 1973 and 1985. He has published 20 volumes of poetry, one travel book on India, and one book of essays, and has translated works by Neruda, Lowell, Ginsberg, Byron, and Chaucer.
IMRE ORAVECZ (born 1943, Szajla, Hungary): A poet, translator, and editor, he has his Master of Arts degree in German and Hungarian from the University of Debrecen, pursued graduate studies at the University of Chicago, taught at the University of Iowa and at the University of California in Santa Barbara as a Fulbright Lecturer. He has published eight volumes of poetry, including When You Became She by Xenos Books in 1994. He has published one volumes of essays. At present he teaches at Pazmany Peter Catholic University.
And the translators are:
MICHAEL CASTRO (born New York City, 1945) is a poet and founding editor of River Styx, a twenty-seven year old magazine and arts organization. Michael, whose work appears in many magazines and anthologies, is the author of five collections of poetry (most recently US), and Interpreting the Indian: 20th Century Poets and the Native American, a historical study of Native American influences on modern poets. He lives in St. Louis, where he hosts the radio program, Poetry Beat, and teaches at Lindenwood College.
GABOR G. GYUKICS is a hungarian poet and literary translator, whose literary works and full bio appear elsewhere at Unlikely Stories.
Selections from Swimming in the Ground:
2001:
A Sack of Smile by Janos Marno
Two Women by Laszlo Bertok
Hang Around by Laszlo Bertok
The Thirties, Bartok Plays the Piano, Attila Jozsef is in the Audience by Otto Orban
About the Ability for Pleasure by Irme Oravecz
Wilderness by Irme Oravecz