Dancing in Odessa

Dancing in Odessa by Ilya Kaminsky is a rich,reverberative dance with memories of a haunted city, drawing on archetype, myth, and Russian literary figures. It invigorates domestic settings with contemporary relevance, humor, and torment, and a distinctive, transcendent music. Kaminsky's poems are like a literary counterpart to Chagall, creating a transformative experience that elicits grief and exhilaration. The American Academy of Arts and Letters and The New York Times praised his work for establishing what poetry can be.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 80 pages
Publication date: 16 September 2021
Publisher: Faber & Faber

Dancing in Odessa, the debut collection of poetry by Ilya Kaminsky, is a rich and evocative dance that carries the echoes of a haunted city. Described by the LA Times as a "literary counterpart to Chagall," Kaminsky's poems blend archetype, myth, and Russian literary figures to create a vibrant and contemporary tapestry.

Within the tightly realized domestic settings of this collection, Kaminsky infuses a sense of contemporary relevance, humor, and torment. His writing is marked by a distinctive musicality that transcends the ordinary, creating a transcendent experience for the reader.

Kaminsky's mastery of the English language is nothing short of magical, as his poems seem to suspend the laws of gravity and reassign colors. Yet, his purpose is not merely to create a surrealistic world but to make the everyday reality that much more indelible. His imagination is so transformative that it elicits a response of equal measures of grief and exhilaration from the reader.

It is for these reasons that Dancing in Odessa stands as a remarkable achievement. The American Academy of Arts and Letters has recognized its significance, awarding Kaminsky the prestigious Pulitzer Prize for Poetry. The New York Times has also praised the collection, describing it as "one of those rarest of finds in this or any century, a writer who establishes what poetry can be."

In conclusion, Dancing in Odessa is a testament to Ilya Kaminsky's poetic prowess. Through his masterful use of language, he has created a collection that is both haunting and exhilarating, transporting the reader to a world where the ordinary is transformed into the extraordinary. This debut collection is a must-read for anyone who appreciates the power of poetry to evoke emotion, challenge perceptions, and establish new boundaries of artistic expression.

Weight: 106g
Dimension: 131 x 197 x 10 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780571369188
Edition number: Main