[Janice D. Soderling]

This thread http://www.ablemuse.com/erato/showthread.php?t=18171&highlight=poetry
elicited a question from Andrew which I finally got around to replying to as below

Quote:
Originally Posted by Andrew Frisardi
Congrats, Terese, on the poem-drop! How cool to be part of that. I enjoyed Katy's blog entry on the event. And in reading, saw the photo of the lovely Estonian poet Kristiina Ehin. Does anyone (Janice?) know her work? I'm intrigued, not only because she's beautiful but because she sounds like quite a poetry-sensation. I saw there's a translation of her work, The Drums of Silence (2007), translated into English by Ilmar Lehtpere.

******
I replied to Andrew
It's been a long time coming, but finally I remembered to answer your question. I have Ehin's collection The Final Going of Snow translated into English by Ilmar Lehtpere.

I don't know much more about her that what Lehtpere tells us in his introduction. "Final Going..." is her fifth collection of poetry and seventh book. "Drums of Silence won the Poetry Society Recommended Translation. She has been translated into twelve languages (and if that ain't enough I agree with you that she is very pretty).

And young. Born in 1977 and she earns her living as a poet. We can all put that in our collective pipe and smoke it!

I didn't acquire her book through diligence or perception of my own. It was a perk from MPT (Modern Poetry in Translation to which I susbcribe) and I am forever grateful to them for that.

I remembered your question because I am currently reading a book by one of her countrymen, the excellent writer Jaan Kross (b. 1920). http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2008...ure.obituaries

I am reading in Swedish but the English title is probably "Resistance". I heard a radio interview made shortly before his death (a reprise, in the summer the most delectable bits in the archive are presented in a special program series) and remembered I had it unread on my shelves. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaan_Kross

This is a 2-for-1 post: two Estonian writers for the price of one question.

***

Alex just forwarded to me a note from her translator Ilmar Lehtpere which gives us more information on this fine writer.

I am posting it below as it is not personal and I interpret it to be addressed not only to me but also to Andrew and all who are interested in poetry and translations.

I am delighted that Eratosphere throws such a wide net as to attract interest in many countries.

Dear Janice,

My name is Ilmar Lehtpere, I am Kristiina Ehin's English language translator. I noted on Eratosphere that you're interested in Kristiina's work.
I have translated a number of Kristiina's books, both poetry and prose, into English. Below you will find a complete list as well as links to her poetry.

Poetry:

A Thousand and One Winters, translated by Ilmar Lehtpere, Bitter Oleander Press, Fayetteville, NY, forthcoming in Nov. 2012.

The Final Going of Snow, translated with an introduction by Ilmar Lehtpere, Modern Poetry in Translation, Oxford, 2011
The Scent of Your Shadow, translated wth a preface by Ilmar Lehtpere, introduction by Sujata Bhatt, Arc Publications, Todmorden, 2010 (Poetry Book Society Recommended Translation).
Põletades pimedust – Burning the Darkness – An Dorchadas á Dhó, translated by Ilmar Lehtpere, with Irish translations by Gabriel Rosenstock, Coiscéim, Dublin, 2009.

The Drums of Silence, translated with an introduction by Ilmar Lehtpere, Oleander Press, Cambridge, 2007 (winner of the Poetry Society Popescu Prize for European Poetry in Translation).
Noorkuuhommik – New Moon Morning, translated by Ilmar Lehtpere, Huma, Tallinn, 2007.
Prose:
Ornamented Journey, short stories translated with an introduction by Ilmar Lehtpere, Saara, Türi, 2012
A Priceless Nest, short stories translated by Ilmar Lehtpere, Oleander Press, Cambridge, 2009.
Päevaseiskaja – South-Estonian Fairy Tales, translated by Ilmar Lehtpere, Huma, Tallinn, 2009.
Kristiina's work appears regularly in British, Irish and American literary magazines and she is the featured writer in the current issue (18/1) of The Bitter Oleander, with 32 pages devoted to her poetry, prose as well as an in-depth interview.
Together with the Swedish-Estonian folk musician Sofia Joons she has written and staged a theatrical production entitled Vormsi Perestroika, which they have also performed in Sweden. Two excerpts can be seen on You Tube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdSdiheBigA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ep-RzzLj060

The piece is performed in Estonian, abroad they distribute my translation to the audience.

Below you will find a few links to Kristiina's poetry.

Best wishes,
Ilmar Lehtpere


http://www.transcript-review.org/en/issue/transcript-39-estonia/poetry-kristiina-ehin

http://www.mptmagazine.com/poem/cows-come-from-the-sea-364/

http://www.arcpublications.co.uk/content.php?content_id=375

http://elm.estinst.ee/issue/25/poetry-kristiina-ehin/

.

Ilmar, in the light of your fine work with Kristiina's poetry, I would urge you to consider joining the Eratosphere community and spread the word about other Estonian writers. Perhaps, hopefully, even to post or comment on the Translation Board or the other forums.

[Andrew Frisardi]

Fascinating. I never imagined my casual question would bring such a rich answer. Thanks, Janice, and thanks, Ilmar.

[Janice D. Soderling]

Just bumping this up, in case any translator has missed it.

[Ilmar Lehtpere]

Many thanks to Janice for posting my email, and for inviting me to become a member of the Eratosphere community. A few words by way of introduction - I had a bilingual upbringing as the child of Estonian refugees in the US, lived for many years in Germany and came home to Estonia five years ago. I have translated other Estonian writers as well, but most of my translation work is my very rewarding, ongoing collaboration with Kristiina - interest in her work is growing all the time and it's a great pleasure to be part of it. I look forward to sharing my thoughts about translating her work as well as hearing other translators' thoughts about the work they do.

[Janice D. Soderling]

A hearty welcome to the Eratosphere, Ilmar. It's lovely to have another translator join our ranks.

[Andrew Frisardi]

Now that I’ve had a chance to read the links you posted above, Ilmar, I have to say: I don’t get what the big deal is about Kristiina Ehin’s poetry. It doesn’t strike me as distinguished or interesting. For instance:

With the coming of dusk
and the dropping of leaves I become
more and more nocturnal
I am brimming
with this summer evening’s nameless hum
I become ever more nocturnal
and I don’t need your fire today
the fire of the coals of your feelings
to warm myself

Becoming more nocturnal with the coming of dusk isn’t exactly surprising. And the language here and elsewhere I’ve read is flat—like a soft drink with the fizz gone out of it.

I don’t want to be gratuitously discourteous, just (since you implicitly invited comment by posting the links) honest.

Since you obviously see a lot in this poetry, perhaps you can expand on what's so good or special about it.

[Ilmar Lehtpere]

I respond to Kristiina's poetry the way most people do - viscerally rather than intellectually, the way one responds to music. Kristiina's work functions on a very deep, primeval level. Her poetry and prose are clearly written by a woman, yet there is nothing conventionally feminine or feminist about it. Through her work I have begun to understand what it means to be a woman and a mother.
Becoming nocturnal in the context of the poem is by no means commonplace - most of us flee the night rather than embrace it.

[Ann Drysdale]

Greetings, Ilmar. I am intrigued by the connection your story has with that of a friend and (highly-acclaimed) fellow poet, Philip Gross, who is also the child of an Estonian refugeee, living in Britain. Do you know his work?

[Andrew Frisardi]

You are right about this:

Becoming nocturnal in the context of the poem is by no means commonplace - most of us flee the night rather than embrace it.

My reading of the poem should have taken that in.

And thank you for your response to my question. I still don’t see or hear what you claim for Ehin's poetry, so far anyway, so I’ll just watch and wait.

[Ilmar Lehtpere]

Hello, Ann. Yes, Philip Gross is indeed a marvellous poet, I know his work very well.