One Is None

"It was translated by noted translator Miriam McIlfatrick-Ksenofontov and published under the Periscope imprint of A Midsummer Night’s Press. They’re doing some really great stuff with getting poets, especially women, into the public, which is something really commendable. Her book talks about love and about the geography of where you find love. And not only love, but also the despair that she sees around the world. I don’t even know if I could say it’s a typical example of Estonian poetry, because it’s so introspective. Landscapes feature prominently, but they’re not physical landscapes—they’re the emotional landscapes of people. I’m really happy that this came out in English. Although she has published several books, I think this is really the genesis of her work. There’s something very representative of all of the things that she’s done. She’s also written children’s books, she’s written a novel. I think she’s a very good representative of Estonian poetry out there. Over the last few years, there have been a number of poetry collections by Estonian poets published, but hers is a standout. It’s also a very short book, only 44 pages. I would say so. If you look at any top 10 bestseller list of various book chains, you’re always going to see a poetry collection or two. This is almost unheard of in any other country. I think Estonians do a really good job of having a vibrant literary scene. There’s always talk of culture, literary events where poetry always features poetry. The HeadRead Festival in Tallinn, an annual literary event, gets big names but Estonians are an integral part of the programme. You have the Prima Vista Festival which is held in the university town of Tartu in Southern Estonia. There’s always some sort of poetry component to these gatherings, and they have become extremely popular. Recently in the Latvian media we’ve seen lists like the “Top 10 Best Collections of Poetry,” the “Top 10 Most Scandalous Books in Latvian Literature.” You don’t have to agree with but it gets the conversation going. Articles, monographs, anthologies all really help to shed some light on things that are worth reading or re-reading. It would be great to see more of these sorts of things in the future because I think it can only help to get the word out there."