CJS Thursday Noon Lecture Series | Promiscuous Reading: Reading and Writing Poetry Across Languages

In The Happy Life, Charles W. Eliot wrote, “Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers.” But can’t books be lovers as well? Jeffrey Angles will share his experiences as a literary scholar and award-winning translator, taking Japanese poetry as his friends, counselors, teachers, and lovers. He will also discuss the ways contemporary Japanese poetry has shaped his own original Japanese-language poetry, which won the Yomiuri Prize for Literature, one of Japan’s most prestigious literary prizes in 2017.

Jeffrey ANGLES is a poet and professor of Japanese literature at Western Michigan University. His work as a literary scholar includes the book Writing the Love of Boys, and his numerous award-winning translations have made him one of the most important Japanese-literature translators of his generation. His original book of Japanese-language poetry won the highly coveted Yomiuri Prize for Literature in 2017.

If you are a person with a disability who requires an accommodation to attend this event, please reach out to bkinzer@umich.edu at least 2 weeks in advance of this event. Please be aware that advance notice is necessary as some accommodations may require more time for the university to arrange.