Commentary

Commentary |

on The Philosophy of Translation by Damion Searls

“The translator does not ‘capture the spirit’ of the foreign text, as translators are so often told, but is affected by the foreign text. Searls’ best advice is to remain open to the experience of reading the text, not to capture it.”

Commentary |

on Playground, a novel by Richard Powers

“Humanity thrives, Powers means to say, when we can write a story that’s optimistic … And if we allow technology to help write the story — as if plugging the whole of society into ChatGPT — won’t we wind up in a better place, maybe?”

Commentary |

on Grief’s Alphabet, poetry by Carrie Etter

“Grief may give Etter her alphabet — grief in particular over her mother’s death — but with formal virtuosity that seems almost effortless and improvisatory, Etter makes out of that alphabet a book of deeply moving poems.”

Commentary |

on Cloud Missives, poetry by Kenzie Allen

“Allen’s collection seeks to calibrate an audience attuned to irony and misinformation, a correction that’s necessary before she can say anything in earnest.  In doing so, she also resists the eurocentric demand to explain Oneida culture …”

Commentary |

on Go Figure, poems by Rae Armantrout

“The poet’s latest collection is rich with allusions to the climate crisis, artificial intelligence, and other man-made dangers. Such themes pair well with Armantrout’s iconic version of Language poetry and her interest in quantum physics.”