John F. Deane's translation of Tomas Tranströmer's 1989 collection For the Living and the Dead (För levande och döda) originally appeared with The Dedalus Press (Ireland) in 1994. Published in the United States for the first time, this new edition contains a revised translation as well as a new introduction and translator's note. For the Living and the Dead contains some of Tranströmer's most widely anthologized poems, including “Vermeer” and “Romanesque Arches.” At long last, this important work from one of the world's most celebrated poets is back in print in a single volume.For the Living and the Dead is the fourth and final Tranströmer book we're publishing this year. This book is available for pre-order through our website--click here for more details. Also available is a broadside featuring an excerpt from Tranströmer's poem "Six Winters."
On For the Living and the Dead, translator John F. Deane notes:
Tranströmer's power with imagery is unsurpassed; a poem of his gathers disparate images from several sources and offers a poetry that is immensely rich, deep and wide-ranging. The imagery remains true to the actual world and yet discovers mysteries that touch on a universal human memory. His power emanates from such conjunctions, going beyond what he calls the “truth barrier.” His work honours his native Sweden and yet ranges the world... His is a deeply human and resonating voice, capacious, exciting, and immensely readable.
Cheers!
