Who is Clayton Eshleman?

Clayton Eshleman was one of his generation’s foremost U.S. translators and poets. Born in Indianapolis, Indiana, Eshleman earned degrees in philosophy and creative writing from Indiana University. As a young man he traveled to Mexico, and lived in Japan, where he befriended poets such as Gary Snyder and Cid Corman.

What is Eshleman’s poetry like?

Eshleman’s poetry was described as “witty, abrasive, pungently earthy,” by Susan Smith Nash in World Literature Today. She continued, “Eshleman’s poems possess a heavy reliance on juxtaposition and the belief that an essential truth may emerge from the dionysiac combining of art, anthropology, poetry, and historical events.”

What is Eshleman’s approach to translation?

Eshleman was known for his diligent approach to translation, often reworking and republishing volumes of Vallejo and Césaire over decades. Eshleman has talked about his sense of apprenticeship to the poets he translates, especially Vallejo.

Where did John Eshleman go to college?

Born in Indianapolis, Indiana, Eshleman earned degrees in philosophy and creative writing from Indiana University. As a young man he traveled to Mexico, and lived in Japan, where he befriended poets such as Gary Snyder and Cid Corman.