The poet Charles Simic once said, “Language constantly fails me. That’s why I continue writing.” Those familiar with his work may have trouble finding failure anywhere there. Since emigrating to the United States from the war-broken city of Belgrade nearly fifty years ago, Simic has assumed and mastered many literary roles; that of translator, memoirist, essayist, and reviewer of books. But his heart belongs to poetry.
The Pulitzer Prize-winning author has now released a new collection of poems. Some old, some new. It’s a tapestry of Simic’s trademark trees, gods, devils and darkness, stitched together with wit, and melancholy, and the beauty of the absurd.
Guests:
Charles Simic, author of The Voice at 3:00 AM: Selected Late and New Poems. Simic is the author of numerous essays and books, including The World Doesn’t End, which earned Simic the Pulitzer Prize.