Magma

by Alfonso Gatto, Jack Hirschman (Translator)

This is the first major translation of the poems of Alfonso Gatto (1909- 1976), one of the most important poets of modern Italy. Born in Salerno, he lived and wrote in cities like Florence,Rome and Milan as well, but returned many times to the Salerno he deeply loved. He was also a painter, essayist, art critic and film actor (he played the apostle Andrea in Pasolini's Gospel According to Matthew in 1964). In the 1930's he was jailed by the police as a communist, who edited a newsletter called "Liberazione" and his "hermetic style" of writing was in part intended to confound and befuddle the fascist cultural authorities during that period. After WW2 and to his death in a street accident, he lived an immensely creative life, and was honored by the most prestigious literary awards. This book was translated during his Centennial year.

127 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Alfonso Gatto (17 July 1909 – 8 March 1976) was an Italian author. Along with Giuseppe Ungaretti and Eugenio Montale, he is one of the foremost Italian poets of the 20th century and a major exponent of hermetic poetry.

Reviews

[William West · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gatto struck me as a master-poet. He seemed able to write verse about so many things in so many styles. Under the fascists he wrote a kind of obscure haiku in order to evade the fascist authorities. I sensed in such works a longing for a different world but I couldn't say what kind of change Gatto was longing for.
In his latter, longer poems, his voice becomes unmistakably political, and we realize that he is describing post-war Italy both romantically and apocalyptically. Small covens coming together under the privacy and threat of night to rejoice in the promise of a better world. Yet this world is tangible in the collective hoping, suffering, being of the denizens of post-War Italy.
Hirschman's translations were mostly excellent. Both poets were radicals. You sense the two writers understand each other. However, Hirschman insists on translating Gatto not simply into English but into what Hirschman defines as "American" language. Sometimes this works beautifully, other times, it seems like a forced intrusion by the translator.