Novica Tadic´, born in 1949, has lived most of his life in Belgrade. One of the most respected Yugoslavian poets of his generation, Tadic “weaves poetry whose images are visible and abstract. A labyrinth of masterful short poems.” (World Literature Today) Here masterfully translated by Yugoslavian-born poet Charles Simic.
Table of Contents
Introduction • FROM PRESENCES (1974) • Dark Climber • I Ask • Servant Girl • FROM DEATH IN A CHAIR (1975) • The Guest • The Maker of Faces Speaks • The Night Game of the Maker of Faces • Lightbulb Maker of Faces • Faucet Maker of Faces • Needle Maker of Faces • The Mouth of the Maker of Faces • The Maker of Faces in the Window • You Who Appear • Louse • Pocket Watch • FROM MAW (1981) • Eye, Evil Eye • Dogs Gambol • Street Sonnet • The Rose • The Fool • Gibe • Toward Evening • Crow, Snow • Night Sonnet • FROM FIERY HEN (1982) • Summoning the Night • Nightingale • Nobody • I Run with a Pair of Compasses • The Wee-Hour Lady • Night Meditation • Conversation • They Come for Me • Toys, Dream • Thief • Jesus • Man from the Death Institute • Cat Strike • Song to the Lamb • Icicle • Crazy Woman • A Feather Plucked from the Tail of the Fiery Hen • My First Record • FROM FOUL LANGUAGE (1984) • At the Hairdresser • What the Young Man Said • Antipsalm • I Loaded Upon My Neck • Text, Silk • Black Mass • FROM THE OBJECT OF RIDICULE (1987) • This Morning I Walked through the Park • The Murderers are Sunning Themselves • Sun’s Shame • My Magpie • The Operator Calls Me • Shoulder Cape, Story • Crazy Tenant • Little Picture Catalogue • Medusa • Song • Die • from Street (1990) • 1989 • This is the Day • My Night Labors • This Instant Young Noah Went By • To a Marksman • Liar • Laocoon/Serpent • FROM SPARROW HAWK (1990) • I’ll Stand Lame before Deaf Judges • Orator • Blissfully Open Wide is the Mouth of the Idiot • Apple • He Turns the Pages of Books and Examines the Poems There