Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Craig Arnold, R.I.P.

So I'm reading my April 2009 issue of Poetry (I am behind in my reading), and I come across a poem by Ramón Cote Baraibar translated by Craig Arnold. The poem, "Coal Deliveryman," is amazing and that is due, in large part, to Arnold's translating. Also in April, I posted about Arnold's disappearance in Japan. This was, in fact, how I discovered Arnold's work, which is incredible. In any case, coming across his translation in Poetry made me wonder whatever happened to him. I was hoping to find that he'd been rescued or that there'd been some kind of misunderstanding and everything was fine. Sadly, that is not the case. He is, as far as I can find out, presumed dead and has been since early May. I'm obviously a little late to the news.

According to Poets and Writers, poet Jacqueline Osherow said after his death: "I'm more broken-hearted for him than the poems he didn't live to write. This is a loss to American literature and letters. It's wrong to say he was full of promise, because he delivered on that."

Arnold's poems really are amazing. I urge you to seek them out.

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