Ακροβατώντας στα όρια

by Edmund Keeley, Ιλάειρα Διονυσοπούλου (Translator)

O Έντμουντ Κήλυ, ο σημαντικότερος μεταφραστής ελληνικής ποίησης στα αγγλικά, εξομολογείται. Οι εμπειρίες μιας ζωής ανάμεσα στη φυσική του πατρίδα, την Αμερική, και τη θετή, την Ελλάδα, είναι η πρώτη ύλη του αυτοβιογραφικού του αφηγήματος. Από τις αλάνες της Αμερικανικής Γεωργικής Σχολής στην προπολεμική Θεσσαλονίκη των παιδικών του χρόνων, ως τα γήπεδα του μπέιζμπολ στην Ουάσινγκτον της εφηβείας του, τα βιώματα από δύο διαφορετικές κοινωνίες και δύο διαφορετικές γλώσσες σηματοδοτούν τα ίχνη μιας περιπέτειας που οδήγησε στη διαμόρφωση αυτής της εντελώς ξεχωριστής προσωπικότητας. Με το αφήγημα αυτό, που ξεχειλίζει από χιούμορ, ο Κήλυ αποδεικνύει ότι το απαράμιλλο μεταφραστικό του έργο οφείλεται στη βιωμένη εμπειρία της ακροβασίας στα όρια που ενώνουν και χωρίζουν δύο κόσμους.

Genres: Biography

537 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2004

About the author

Edmund Keeley was an American novelist, translator, poet, and essayist, as well as a longtime professor of English at Princeton University. Renowned for his expertise in modern Greek literature, he translated and promoted the works of C. P. Cavafy, George Seferis, Odysseas Elytis, and Yannis Ritsos. His extensive body of work spans fiction, poetry, and scholarship, often inspired by Greece and its culture. He served as president of both the Modern Greek Studies Association and PEN American Center, and received numerous awards and honors, including the Rome Prize, Guggenheim Fellowships, and the PEN/Ralph Manheim Medal for Translation.

Reviews

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful biographic writing about the childhood and early adult life of the child of an American diplomat. It goes through the experience of moving around the world, where your parent's job takes you and what impact the cultures you live in have on you. Edmund "Mike" Keeley spends several years as a child on an American farm in Salonika, Greece and falls in love with the country and the people. Even after returning to the States because of the war, his mind and soul remains abroad. I liked his style of describing his experiences and the people he encountered. The memoir ends a bit abrupt, but is nevertheless quite enjoyable.

[Patty Apostolides · Rating 5 out of 5]

Memoir by Edmund Keeley on his life as a diplomat's son, traveling to different countries, including Thessaloniki, Greece. Greece's mark on Keeley stayed with him the rest of his life. He married a Greek woman, translated Greek poetry that expanded Greek literature to the world, and most of his novels take place in Greece. A prolific writer, Keeley's works, fiction and nonfiction, deserve being read.