Poetry by Anselm Hollo
January 1, 1990 • 6 x 9 • 112 pages • 978-0-918273-76-5
Hollo’s witty, cosmopolitan, self-deprecating lyrics inspires trust in his original blend of ironic wit & sentimentality.
Anselm Hollo views all of his work as one unbroken song, and in his new collection of poems, Outlying Districts, the music continues to resonate. His understated and occasionally self-deprecating lyrics (“fill in the blank is bigger than 20 poets”) has established Hollo as a credible contemporary voice that is not about to deliver phony nuggets of wisdom. Thus when Hollo writes “that grace still exists,” we believe him. A master at blending ironic wit and sentimentality, Hollo’s work never loses its bittersweet sense of song.
About the Author
Anselm Hollo authored more than forty books and was an award-winning translator. He was born in Helsinki, Finland. After ten years in England writing and broadcasting for the BBC European Services, Hollo settled in the United States in 1966. He enthusiastically contributed to the American literary community as a poet, teacher, and award-winning translator. Fluent in German, Swedish, Finnish and English by age ten, Hollo made a significant contribution to modern letters as a translator. Hollo was widely published in little magazines, and his books include Sojourner Microcosms (Blue Wine Press) and No Complaints (Toothpaste Press); his translations include Red Cats (City Lights) and collections by Haavikko (Cape Goliard/Grossman) and Pentti Saarikoski (Toothpaste Press).
Hollo taught at Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado. His collection of poems, Notes on the Possibilities and Attractions of Existence, received the San Francisco Poetry Center Award.
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