Imaginary Poets Imaginary Poets

Recently I had the pleasure of attending a poetry reading of Imaginary Poets, a new anthology of poetry published by Tupelo press. Each of 22 poets featured in this book assumed the identity of an imaginary poet. The results were quite fascinating. More details are in the press release:

TUPELO PRESS, INC.
An Independent Literary Press
www.tupelopress.org

Media Contact: Susan R. Williamson
swilliamson@tupelopress.org
434-924-8922
www.tupelopress.org



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
$19.95 pb
ISBN: 978-1-932195-20-0
THE IMAGINARY POETS APPEAR IN TIME FOR HOLIDAYS
22 Master Poets Create 22 Master Poets, a novel anthology
edited by Alan Michael Parker
New Anthology Collects Exceptionally Imaginative Work From Major Living Poets

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA – DECEMBER 1, 2005 — Tupelo Press is pleased to announce publication of a new anthology that includes work by 22 of the major poets writing in America today. Exceptional work in which each master poet assumes a new persona, that of a poet only conceived of at the charge of editor, Alan Michael Parker.
Each contributor was given the same challenge: translate a poem into English, offer a biography of the poet, and then write a short essay in which the poem, the poet, and the corpus are considered—and make all of it up, without once indicating you have done so! In response, poems ‘translated’ from eighteen languages appeared. They include Dirja, Vietnamese, Yiddish, and even Egyptian hieroglyphs, poems that may be read in the grand literary tradition of heteronyms and alter egos,”
But the book’s ultimate goal is to explore the nature of creativity: what is it to make a poem? To make up a poet? To “translate” a work—is that rewriting or writing? What about translating a work that never existed? What does it mean if you create the creator? In the tradition of Pessoa and Borges, The Imaginary Poets delves delightedly into the very act of invention with a wink, a smile and tremendous respect for the art.
Contributors include Aliki Barnstone as Eva Victoria Perera, Josh Bell as Saurah Joan Mao, Laure-Anne Bosselaar as Anne-Maelle Mathieu, Martha Collins as Hoi An, Annie Finch as Rose Elbow Souris, Judith Hall as J II, Barbara Hamby as Gertrude of Brandenburg, Jennifer Michael Hecht as Kisaru Gashe, Garrett Hongo as Casey Shigemitsu, Andrew Hudgins as Alan Lutiy, David Kirby as Kevnor, Maxine Kumin as Greta Schoenemann-Licht, Khaled Mattawa as Tafida Zeinhum, D.A. Powell as Joao Pudim, Kevin Prufer as Wen Bo, Anna Rabinowitz as Hekenus, Victoria Redel as Tzadie Rackel, David St. John as Jean-Phillipe Dariens, Mark Strand as Marin K., Thom Ward as Jan DeKeerk, Rosanna Warren as Anne Verveine, Eleanor Wilner as Irena Zupanik.
“We’ve all been grinning and shaking our heads as we’ve brought Imaginary Poets through the production process and collected the work of these extraordinary poets,” said Tupelo publisher, Jeffrey Levine. “The humor and wry aspects that this convention has allowed the poets to bring out include some of the more amusing aspects of literary analysis and it’s an unmistakable tour de force and at the same time terrifically entertaining. You’ll learn something about each poet as they inhabit their inventions. It’s fun and accessible work in every instance. Alan Michael Parker’s concept has come full bloom with this bouquet of new and heretofore unknown master poets (the imaginary ones, that is).”
Associate Publisher Susan Williamson said, “We are looking forward to the launch series when we’ll be able to work with the poets in person as their alter-egos. These events, which we’ve planned in New York, Austin (at the annual AWP conference), Charlottesville and Philadelphia promise to be some of the best poetry events we’ll see this coming year. And we’re starting with a launch at Poets House in New York on December 6th.
Alan Michael Parker is the author of three books of poems and co-editor of two reference works on poetry. His poetry, essays, and reviews have appeared widely in journals. Parker teaches at Davidson College, where he directs the program in creative writing, and is a core faculty member in the Queens University low-residency M.F.A. program.

Tupelo Press is an independent literary press committed to giving voice to exciting new and established literary talent. It makes books unparalleled in production values, look and feel.

Recent recognitions include a Metcalf Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, a Whiting Award, three ForeWord Magazine prizes for the year’s best book of poetry, a Norma Farber Award from the Poetry Society of America for the years best first book of poetry, a Peace Corps Writers Award, and many others.

Tupelo Press offices are located in Dorset, Vermont, and Charlottesville, Virginia. For more information, review copies, or to arrange a reading, visit www.tupelopress.org.