Adam Zagajewski

Poetry

Catalog Number(s): 20161021, 20140801

Interview Year(s): 2013

Adam Zagajewski, the 2016 recipient of the Griffin Lifetime Achievement Prize for Excellence in Poetry, was born in Lwow, Poland, but when he was four months old, his family was expelled by Ukrainians to Silesia, which at the time was part of Germany. In this reading at Rockhurst University’s Midwest Poets Series, he shares his poetry, which interweaves stories of his childhood, his parents, and fellow exiles of his neighborhood, along with art, classical composers, and his own self portrait to portray a world filled with both joy and sadness. Often associated with the Kraków group of poets calling themselves “Teraz,” meaning “Now” in English, he is thought to be a champion of plain speaking poetry. He discusses the translation of many of his works into English and reads from his books, including Without End  and Unseen Hand.