Translingual writing—or writing in a second language—is an essential but often overlooked phenomenon of our increasingly globalized literary world. This presentation invites you to explore the works of poets born in the USSR, who moved to the United States in their childhood or youth and switched to writing poetry in English, including Olga Livshin, Ilya Kaminsky, and Eugene Ostashevsky. The intertwined nature of their poetry and translation projects shed light on the complexity of defining one’s identity between linguistic and literary fault lines, especially in a region fraught with historical traumas. Since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation in 2022, these poets have also contributed to translation and publishing initiatives to bring Ukrainian poetry to readers in the United States and support the work of Ukrainian authors.
Sponsorship
This event is co-sponsored by Wheaton College.
Accessibility
The Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies at Harvard University encourages persons with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities. If you anticipate needing any type of accommodation or have questions about the physical access provided, please contact us at 617-495-4037 or daviscenter@fas.harvard.edu in advance of your participation or visit. Requests for Sign Language interpreters and/or CART providers should be made at least two weeks in advance if possible. Please note that the Davis Center will make every effort to secure services but that services are subject to availability.
