Poetry Reading Night XOA #3: “The Fingers”

Thu 19 Jan 2017, 7 pm
Bluebird Nest
13 lane 19 Đặng Dung, Hanoi

From the organizer:

It’s perhaps true; we cherish more dearly those beings who are few in existence and difficult to find. AJAR (www.ajarpress.com) will now honor such precious and rare beings in this space of an online muse(um), a space in which you can read select books of poetry as photographed objects in their natural wear, with the chance to contribute a line toward their ongoing existence in another language. The composition of each image in the collection reminds us: there is an actuality to these texts, there is a light reflected off their ink and paper, someone’s hands are opening the pages for you, extending the invitation: read with me here.

And in this spirit of sharing, we extend another invitation to all readers of this muse(um): translate with me here. These exhibited texts, full of rich and vibrant and challenging and particular language, provide a beautiful opportunity for expanding practices of translation. We now open a call for collective translation here, to professional and unprofessional translators alike, for readers to think about how they would personally move these poems across language (not just into English, but any language), for different translation choices to co-exist, for us all to see the flexibility and limitations of our languages.

The first three books featured on our shelves: Phụt by Bỉm (Tuỳ Tiện, 2010), Chẹc Chẹc by Nguyẽn Dình Chính (Tân Hình Thức, 2010), and Rìa Vực by Nhã Thuyên (Giấy Vụn, 2011). For this special night, the three authors will be present to read with us from their books on exhibit. The mic will be then opened for more readers to share. Come and view the opening of AJAR’s muse(um)!

Free entry

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Previous poetry reading sessions:
Poetry Reading XOA #1
Poetry Reading XOA #2: “The Wall that We Hear Through”