In this new selection, complete with many new translations, michael hofmann guides us through the poems, poets and themes of german verse. This past year, hofmann published his fifth book of poems. Michael hofmann, a poet and translator of german, accepts this sorry fact without approval or complaint. Michael hofmann is a germanborn, britisheducated poet and translator. Apr, 2010 michael hofmann, poet, translator, and author of behind the lines, reads a number of his poems and translations as part of the college of general studies and boston university humanities. Michael hofmann was born in freiburg, west germany, the son of the german novelist gert hofmann. Michael hofmann is the author of six books of poetry.
Among his translations are plays by bertolt brecht and patrick suskind. Penguin publish his translations of kafkas metamorphosis and other stories and irmgard keuns child of all nations. Michael hofmann hofmann is widely considered to be the worlds foremost translator from german into english. Michael hofmann made his name with poems documenting his fraught. His subject matter has been equally individual, including his remarkable and complex series of fatherpoems, his subtle portraiture of the lives of others, east and west, together. Poet and critic michael robbins offers his picks for best poetry collections of 2018, from a debut by vanessa couto johnson to a new translation of bertolt brecht. Arranged in three parts the first concerning other peoples lives, the second autobiographical, the third to do with the poets travels in mexico corona, corona displays to the full michael hofmanns gift for compressed and vividly pointed. Child of all nations by irmgard keun nook book ebook.
He also teaches graduate and undergraduate poetry workshops. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. He was born in freiburg, germany, and moved to the uk at age four. There are a number of poets who ought to take the same line, but hofmann one of the few. There are as many theories about the role of the critic as there are works of criticism. Corona, corona was first published in 1993 and is at last published in fabers poetry series look. The latter, one of the finest books of poetry of the 1980s, won the. Michael hofmann michael hofmann reads his fathers book. Buy behind the lines first by michael hofmann isbn. Behind the lines is a highly successful collectiona manifesto in its way for free. Michael hofmann is the author of several books of poems and a book of criticism, behind the lines, and the translator of many modern and contemporary authors.
Winner of the prestigious impac award, he has translated over 40 books, including works by bertolt brecht, joseph roth, patrick suskind, herta mueller, franz kafka, durs grunbein, and his father, gert hofmann. Articles by michael hofmann the new york times, the. Hofmann is the translator of over seventy books from the germana oneman bibliothek, in adam thirlwells wordsranging from the novels of franz kafka, ernst junger, and wolfgang koeppen to the poetry of gottfried benn and durs grunbein. Michael hofmann is a poet, translator and essayist. His critical writings have been collected in two books, behind the lines 2001 and where have you been. T he savagery with which michael hofmann can wield a hatchet has earned him unlikely fans outside the literary. This latest volume, the eagerly awaited followup to his highly lauded critical debut, behind the lines 2001, again demonstrates hofmanns highly individual, takenoprison ers, epigrammatic critical style. He was educated at winchester college and then studied english literature and classics. This collection of poems touches on personal and political watersheds and examines various kinds of patrimony. Michael hofmann was born in 1957 in freiburg, germany, and came to england in 1961.
In 1999 hofmann was awarded the penbookofthemonth club translation prize for his translation of joseph roths the string of pearls. Michael hofmanns first collection of poems, nights in the iron hotel, came in 1984, and in the ensuing thirty years he has translated more than sixty novels from the german and published five more poetry collections, along the way collecting numerous prizes for his work. He has published four volumes of poems and won a cholmondeley award and the geoffrey faber memorial prize for poetry. Where have you been selected essays by michael hofmann. In his last book of essays, behind the lines, the freiburg im breisgauborn hofmann described british writing as being at the edge of my circle, while fords birthplace of nairobi might account for some of his centrifugal tendencies a study of french eccentric raymond roussel, as well as his unmatched engagement for a british poet. Dec 04, 2014 michael hofmanns first collection of poems, nights in the iron hotel, came in 1984, and in the ensuing thirty years he has translated more than sixty novels from the german and published five more poetry collections, along the way collecting numerous prizes for his work. His most recent poetry collection is approximately nowhere faber, and as a translator his work includes kafkas the man who disappeared amerika. The text is precisely written without being dry, and the references to specific works and authors shows the depth of his understanding of each ones style, life history, and purpose. In 2014 a selection of his essays was published as where have you been. Michael hofmann offers something for everyone in this collection, which spans time, continents, tastes, genres, mediums. So much better than most things written on purpose poetry.
The heft of these 30 substantial, methodical essays answers the title of this collection from critic, poet, and translator hofmann behind the lines. Michael hofmann is a germanborn poet who writes in english and a translator of texts from. Poet, translator, and essayist michael hofmann was born in freiburg, germany, and moved to the uk at age four. New and selected poems 1990, corona, corona 1993, approximately. He is the author of two books of essays and five books of poems, most recently one lark, one horse. His major novels include the trial1925, the castle1926, and amerika1927. Poet michael robbins offers picks for best poetry collections. Michael hofmann an exceptional collection of writing candida clark, the observer about literature and art by a noted poet and translator since 1980, the poet and translator michael hofmann has also been a. Apr 09, 2016 t he savagery with which michael hofmann can wield a hatchet has earned him unlikely fans outside the literary. Mar 28, 2019 behind the lines by michael hofmann, 2001, faber and faber edition, in english. Hofmanns family first moved to bristol in 1961, and later to edinburgh. Many of michael hofmanns poetry touches political topics. Poet michael hofmann to give reading wake forest news. Meticulously researched but eminently approachable, the faber book of twentieth century german poems is an essential new addition to any poetry bookshelf.
Michael hofmanns poems have been widely admired, notably for their gift of compressed and vividly pointed reportage, and the collision course of words and dictions that his poetry characteristically provokes. He is the author of two books of essays and five books of poems, most recently on. The subject of this book is the life of the former cement worker and haulier franz biberkopf in berlin. He has published six books of poetry and has translated more than sixty books from the german, including gottfried benns impromptus. Ashes for breakfast his translations of the poetry of. Candida clark finds that michael hofmanns criticism is made richer by his poetic turns of phrase in his collection of poetry and essays, behind. Apr 09, 2001 acrimony by michael hofmann is the acclaimed poet and translators second book of poetry, focusing his unique sensibility and merciless vision on family relationships, whether between husband and wife or between son and father.
I believe, with gottfried benn, that, the ability to write fascinatingly is a primary one, and that nothing else polystrophic rhymed addresses to loved ones and aunts is worth shit. Selected poems and some prose, as well as works by. His maternal grandfather edited the brockhaus enzyklopadie. Michael hofmann 1 michael hofmann 1 primary author only michael hofmann disambiguation author division michael hofmann is composed of at least 5 distinct authors, divided by their works. Nothing required an account of me and still i didnt give one. See all books authored by michael hofmann, including a stranger to myself. His father was the german novelist gert hofmann died 1993. Go to the disambiguation page to edit author name combination and separation. The poet michael hofmanns awards for translation include the penbookofthemonth club prize, the independent foreign fiction prize, the impac dublin literary award, the helen and kurt wolff translators prize, the oxfordweidenfeld translation prize, the schlegeltieck prize four times, and most recently, the american academys thornton wilder prize in translation. The poet and translator michael hofmann is one of the most charismatic figures on the contemporary literary scene.
Behind the hesitations and silences, however, is the assuredness of. Michael hofmann, poet, translator, and author of behind the lines, reads a number of his poems and translations as part of the college of general studies and boston university humanities. Penguin publish his translations of kafkas metamorphosis and other stories and ernst jungers storm of steel. The following lines are drawn from the middle section of lvs eight stanzas. Michael hofmann is a poet, translator, and essayist. Michael hofmann books list of books by author michael hofmann. Acrimony by michael hofmann is the acclaimed poet and translators second book of poetry, focusing his unique sensibility and merciless vision on family relationships, whether between husband and wife or between son and father. Selected poems and some prose, as well as works by ernst junger, franz kafka, and joseph roth. Michael hofmann is an acclaimed poet, translator, and critic. When his family returned to germany, hofmann stayed behind, first at boarding schools and later magdalene college, cambridge university, where he earned his ba and ma. Behind the lines by michael hofmann, 2001, faber and faber edition, in english. The faber book of twentiethcentury german poems michael.
Michael hofmann born 1957 is a germanborn english poet, and a translator of texts from german. Michael hofmann born august 25, 1957, german critic. His pieces have been collected in two books, behind the lines and where have you been. Dec 11, 2018 poet and critic michael robbins offers his picks for best poetry collections of 2018, from a debut by vanessa couto johnson to a new translation of bertolt brecht. Aug 25, 2001 behind the lines michael hofmann faber. If you subscribed via the website, you can enter the order number from your subscription confirmation email in place of your customer number. He has published four volumes of poems and won a cholmondeley award and. Michael hofmann is the author of several books of poems and a book of criticism, behind the lines, and the translator of many modern and contemporary authors, including joseph roth. Michael hofmann was born in freiburg, west germany into a family with a literary tradition. Cold comforts one lark, one horse by michael hofmann farrar, straus and giroux, 87 pp. He has published four books of poems, and behind the lines.
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