My son has birds in his head.
I know them now. I catch
the pitch of their calls, their shrill
cacophonies, their chitterings, their coos…
—“Daedalus”, by Alastair Reid (1926–2014) – born 100 years ago #OTD, 22 March
published in WEATHERING, @canongatebooks 1978
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Listen to “Daedalus” read by Alastair Reid on the Poetry Archive
2/4
Alastair Reid translated many Latin American writers, in particular the poetry of Borges & Neruda. In this talk from 2009, he explores the hazards & occasional felicities of translation, focusing on the influence of Borges, & of the nature of a bilingual reality
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpU2T0o-fi4
#Scottish #literature #poetry #20thcentury #translation #JorgeLuisBorges #PabloNeruda
In the documentary A Restless Content (1996), made to celebrate his 70th birthday, Alastair Reid reflects on 30 years of writing for the New Yorker magazine, & his remarkable literary friendships with Robert Graves, Jorge Luis Borges & Pablo Neruda
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2-NTj70oBA
#Scottish #literature #poetry #20thcentury #translation #JorgeLuisBorges #PabloNeruda
Assoc for Scottish Literature