The Book of Things

Winner of the 2011 Best Translated Book of the YearAwardFrom his first book of poems, Chessboards of Hours (1995), Ale teger hasbeen one of Slovenia's most promising poets. The philosophical and lyricalsophistication of his poems, along with his work as a leading book editor andfestival organizer, quickly spread teger's reputation beyond the borders ofSlovenia. The Book of Things is teger's most widely praised book of poetry andhis first American collection. The book consists of fifty poems that look at"things" (i.e. aspirin, chair, cork) which are transformed byteger's unique poetic alchemy.Translator Brian Henry is a distinguished poet,translator, editor, and critic.From Publisher's Weekly:Steger's effortssometimes bring to mind such Western European figures as Francis Ponge andCraig Raine, who also sought to make household things look new and strange. YetSteger brings a melancholy Central European sense of history- his objects tendto remember, or cause, great pain: ?It pours, this poisonous, sweet force,"Steger writes of ?Saliva," ?Between teeth, when you spit your own littlegenocide." (Nov.)From Guernica, a Magazine of Art and Politics:It is a raretreat to have an English translation before the ink has dried on the original.By which I mean, a mere five years after the book's Slovenian publication,Brian Henry has brought these poems to life for those of us not lucky enough toread Slovenian. Henry's translations are impressive for sheer acrobatics.