The Book For My Brother

This newest collection of poems from Tomaž Šalamun is exuberant, ambitious, and full of surprises. Here the devil is encountered and understood-

I see the devil's head, people, I see his whole body . . .

he longs for innocence, as we do.

Here the poet juggles many tones, languages, and countries. Desire is evoked as both frustrating and exhilarating-

I'm watered by longing, knocking my

head into the wall, on the ground, or I burn, burn,

folded up on the couch.

And memory comes back to remind us of the laws and experiences of childhood-

Once again you are let loose in the sea

only after five o'clock in the afternoon to take

a dose of sunlight like the ticking of the clock.

At once daring and clear-voiced, The Book for My Brother is an extraordinary achievement.

What emerges when a master poet holds desire, memory, and innocence up to a surreal, unwavering light?

• Avant-Garde Vision: A singular voice that juggles languages and landscapes, from the banks of the Nile to the streets of New York, creating a vibrant, borderless world.
• The Sacred and Profane: Confrontations with devils, saints, and childhood ghosts where innocence and experience are held in a beautiful, startling tension.
• Poems of Raw Desire: An unflinching exploration of longing—sometimes a fire on the couch, sometimes a knock against the wall—that is both frustrating and exhilarating.
• Masterful Translation: Experience the power and playfulness of one of Slovenia’s most celebrated poets, brought to life in a vivid and clear-voiced English translation.

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PRAISE FOR TOMAZ SALAMUN

"One of the indispensable poets of the era . . . A poet who one feels has a heart so open and an ear so pure, he might have answers in even the darkest times."--Jorie Graham, winner of the Pulitzer Prize for poetry

"Salamun's poems manifest a wry, deprecative humor, alternately acerbic and playful; a gift for remarkable images and detail, both surreal and quotidian; and an acute sensitivity to the astounding variety of the world and of history."--Boston Review