Thick of It by Ulrike Almut Sandig and translated by Karen Leeder

This is poetry from Germany.

Thick of It by Ulrike Almut Sandig translated by Karen Leeder is published by Seagull Books. This is a Book originally written in German. This was published in 2018.0 and has the ISBN of 9.78085742556E12.

Ulrike Almut Sandig’s Thick of It, translated from German by Karen Leeder, feels like a book organized around density, immediacy, pressure, and the crowded present. That does not mean the poems should be treated as illustrations of a theme. Better to approach them as moments of speech, records of whatever made language necessary. For a reader new to this poet, I would suggest beginning with the first image that creates a physical reaction: surprise, discomfort, tenderness, recognition, even refusal. The translation brings poetry from poetry connected to Germany into English while preserving the sense that some meanings should remain a little restless. Thick of It belongs on the shelf because it trusts poetry to do more than explain. It lets language alter the room around the reader.

If you’d like to see international poetry continue and gain traction, consider requesting this work from your local library, or purchasing it from places like Open Books (a poetry only bookstore), Asterism Books (an independent press distributor), or bookshop.org to connect you with your local bookstores.

Check out more of the always in-progress translated poetry index here.