Many of michael hofmanns poetry touches political topics. Selected poems and some prose, as well as works by ernst junger, franz kafka, and joseph roth. Mar 28, 2019 behind the lines by michael hofmann, 2001, faber and faber edition, in english. Behind the lines is a highly successful collectiona manifesto in its way for free. The subject of this book is the life of the former cement worker and haulier franz biberkopf in berlin. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders.
His major novels include the trial1925, the castle1926, and amerika1927. Apr 09, 2016 t he savagery with which michael hofmann can wield a hatchet has earned him unlikely fans outside the literary. New and selected poems 1990, corona, corona 1993, approximately. Michael hofmann made his name with poems documenting his fraught. He has published six books of poetry and has translated more than sixty books from the german, including gottfried benns impromptus. T he savagery with which michael hofmann can wield a hatchet has earned him unlikely fans outside the literary. Michael hofmann, poet, translator, and author of behind the lines, reads a number of his poems and translations as part of the college of general studies and boston university humanities. In his last book of essays, behind the lines, the freiburg im breisgauborn hofmann described british writing as being at the edge of my circle, while fords birthplace of nairobi might account for some of his centrifugal tendencies a study of french eccentric raymond roussel, as well as his unmatched engagement for a british poet.
Michael hofmanns first collection of poems, nights in the iron hotel, came in 1984, and in the ensuing thirty years he has translated more than sixty novels from the german and published five more poetry collections, along the way collecting numerous prizes for his work. Buy behind the lines first by michael hofmann isbn. Michael hofmann is the author of several books of poems and a book of criticism, behind the lines, and the translator of many modern and contemporary authors. There are a number of poets who ought to take the same line, but hofmann one of the few. His maternal grandfather edited the brockhaus enzyklopadie. Penguin publish his translations of kafkas metamorphosis and other stories and irmgard keuns child of all nations. Michael hofmann books list of books by author michael hofmann. There are as many theories about the role of the critic as there are works of criticism. Michael hofmann is a germanborn, britisheducated poet and translator.
Poet michael robbins offers picks for best poetry collections. In 2014 a selection of his essays was published as where have you been. So much better than most things written on purpose poetry. Hofmann is the translator of over seventy books from the germana oneman bibliothek, in adam thirlwells wordsranging from the novels of franz kafka, ernst junger, and wolfgang koeppen to the poetry of gottfried benn and durs grunbein. Hofmanns family first moved to bristol in 1961, and later to edinburgh. This past year, hofmann published his fifth book of poems. Selected poems and some prose, as well as works by. His subject matter has been equally individual, including his remarkable and complex series of fatherpoems, his subtle portraiture of the lives of others, east and west, together. Michael hofmann, a poet and translator of german, accepts this sorry fact without approval or complaint. He is the author of two books of essays and five books of poems, most recently one lark, one horse. Michael hofmann was born in 1957 in freiburg, germany, and came to england in 1961. Child of all nations by irmgard keun nook book ebook.
Dec 04, 2014 michael hofmanns first collection of poems, nights in the iron hotel, came in 1984, and in the ensuing thirty years he has translated more than sixty novels from the german and published five more poetry collections, along the way collecting numerous prizes for his work. He also teaches graduate and undergraduate poetry workshops. Penguin publish his translations of kafkas metamorphosis and other stories and ernst jungers storm of steel. Michael hofmann is a poet, translator and essayist. When his family returned to germany, hofmann stayed behind, first at boarding schools and later magdalene college, cambridge university, where he earned his ba and ma. Poet and critic michael robbins offers his picks for best poetry collections of 2018, from a debut by vanessa couto johnson to a new translation of bertolt brecht. He is the author of two books of essays and five books of poems, most recently on. Hofmann edited the faber book of 20th century german poems, and has made personal selections from the work of robert lowell and john berryman. Michael hofmann hofmann is widely considered to be the worlds foremost translator from german into english. Apr, 2010 michael hofmann, poet, translator, and author of behind the lines, reads a number of his poems and translations as part of the college of general studies and boston university humanities. Where have you been selected essays by michael hofmann. Michael hofmann michael hofmann reads his fathers book.
His most recent poetry collection is approximately nowhere faber, and as a translator his work includes kafkas the man who disappeared amerika. Among his translations are plays by bertolt brecht and patrick suskind. His pieces have been collected in two books, behind the lines and where have you been. He has published four volumes of poems and won a cholmondeley award and the geoffrey faber memorial prize for poetry. Behind the lines by michael hofmann, 2001, faber and faber edition, in english.
Behind the hesitations and silences, however, is the assuredness of. Michael hofmann is a germanborn poet who writes in english and a translator of texts from. Michael hofmann is the author of several books of poems and a book of criticism, behind the lines, and the translator of many modern and contemporary authors, including joseph roth. Poet michael hofmann to give reading wake forest news. If you subscribed via the website, you can enter the order number from your subscription confirmation email in place of your customer number. This latest volume, the eagerly awaited followup to his highly lauded critical debut, behind the lines 2001, again demonstrates hofmanns highly individual, takenoprison ers, epigrammatic critical style. The latter, one of the finest books of poetry of the 1980s, won the. The faber book of twentiethcentury german poems michael. Michael hofmann offers something for everyone in this collection, which spans time, continents, tastes, genres, mediums. Aug 25, 2001 behind the lines michael hofmann faber. In 1999 hofmann was awarded the penbookofthemonth club translation prize for his translation of joseph roths the string of pearls.
I believe, with gottfried benn, that, the ability to write fascinatingly is a primary one, and that nothing else polystrophic rhymed addresses to loved ones and aunts is worth shit. His father was the german novelist gert hofmann died 1993. Ashes for breakfast his translations of the poetry of. Candida clark finds that michael hofmanns criticism is made richer by his poetic turns of phrase in his collection of poetry and essays, behind. Michael hofmann born august 25, 1957, german critic. Michael hofmann is the author of six books of poetry. Arranged in three parts the first concerning other peoples lives, the second autobiographical, the third to do with the poets travels in mexico corona, corona displays to the full michael hofmanns gift for compressed and vividly pointed. He has published four volumes of poems and won a cholmondeley award and. He was born in freiburg, germany, and moved to the uk at age four.
Michael hofmann born 1957 is a germanborn english poet, and a translator of texts from german. Articles by michael hofmann the new york times, the. Michael hofmann is a poet, translator, and essayist. See all books authored by michael hofmann, including a stranger to myself. His critical writings have been collected in two books, behind the lines 2001 and where have you been. Michael hofmann an exceptional collection of writing candida clark, the observer about literature and art by a noted poet and translator since 1980, the poet and translator michael hofmann has also been a. Apr 09, 2001 acrimony by michael hofmann is the acclaimed poet and translators second book of poetry, focusing his unique sensibility and merciless vision on family relationships, whether between husband and wife or between son and father. Nothing required an account of me and still i didnt give one. The poet and translator michael hofmann is one of the most charismatic figures on the contemporary literary scene. Cold comforts one lark, one horse by michael hofmann farrar, straus and giroux, 87 pp. The heft of these 30 substantial, methodical essays answers the title of this collection from critic, poet, and translator hofmann behind the lines. Dec 11, 2018 poet and critic michael robbins offers his picks for best poetry collections of 2018, from a debut by vanessa couto johnson to a new translation of bertolt brecht. Michael hofmanns poems have been widely admired, notably for their gift of compressed and vividly pointed reportage, and the collision course of words and dictions that his poetry characteristically provokes.
Michael hofmann was born in freiburg, west germany into a family with a literary tradition. The text is precisely written without being dry, and the references to specific works and authors shows the depth of his understanding of each ones style, life history, and purpose. He has made selections of the poetry of robert lowell and john berryman, and, with james lasdun, coedited. Corona, corona was first published in 1993 and is at last published in fabers poetry series look. Acrimony by michael hofmann is the acclaimed poet and translators second book of poetry, focusing his unique sensibility and merciless vision on family relationships, whether between husband and wife or between son and father.
Winner of the prestigious impac award, he has translated over 40 books, including works by bertolt brecht, joseph roth, patrick suskind, herta mueller, franz kafka, durs grunbein, and his father, gert hofmann. He was educated at winchester college and then studied english literature and classics. The following lines are drawn from the middle section of lvs eight stanzas. Go to the disambiguation page to edit author name combination and separation. He has published four books of poems, and behind the lines. The poet michael hofmanns awards for translation include the penbookofthemonth club prize, the independent foreign fiction prize, the impac dublin literary award, the helen and kurt wolff translators prize, the oxfordweidenfeld translation prize, the schlegeltieck prize four times, and most recently, the american academys thornton wilder prize in translation.
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