Description
"Nooteboom began writing the poems in this collection in a pre-coronavirus era and finished them amid 'the mysterious virus that is suddenly ruling the world'. . . .While life unravels like a virus, with no clear endpoint or destination, the poems in this collection are a reminder of poetry’s capacity to give order to chaos. . ."
"Nooteboom began writing the poems in this collection in a pre-coronavirus era and finished them amid 'the mysterious virus that is suddenly ruling the world'. . . .While life unravels like a virus, with no clear endpoint or destination, the poems in this collection are a reminder of poetry’s capacity to give order to chaos. . ."
"Though not well-known in the U.S., Nooteboom is one of the most eminent poets writing in Dutch, and at 88 has enough clout and perspective to take on the seemingly ungovernable moment of the pandemic. Foregoing the banalities of quarantine writing that quickly became clichés, Nooteboom waited, then provided a vision of the pandemic that is contiguous with the future and the past—his past—rather than a freakish aberration."
"Leaving is a striking example of translation as transformation for a new reading audience. In translation not only words and lines are enveloped in a new language, covers and paratexts are also newly framed."
“Relying in this book more on his keen-edged etching needle than the enshrouding darkness, Nooteboom has carved us a subtle portrait of his spiritual poethood.”
Cees Nooteboom is one of Europe’s leading living authors. His poetry, novels and, travel literature have been translated into many languages. Several of his books, including Light Everywhere and Monk’s Eye, are also available from Seagull Books. Max Neumann is a German artist. David Colmer is an award-winning translator.