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by
CLARA JANÈS
( MADRID,
SPAIN)
MEMBER OF
THE SPANISH ROYAL ACADEMY
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Translated
into English by
ANNE PASERO
(MARQUETTE UNIVERSITY, USA)
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FIRST EDITION:
ISBN:
978-1-937030-03-2
2011 |
Ophelia’s Voice is a translation of Janés’ book
La voz de
Ofelia (2005), accompanied by a substantial introduction by
Anne Pasero. This book of Janés is autobiographic in nature,
written in poetic prose, and recounts her return to writing
following a six-year hiatus, after discovering the Czech poet
Vladimir Holan and his A Night with Hamlet. Janés finds
her poetic voice again in her vision of Ophelia, in response to
Holan, and this exchange will greatly affect her subsequent work.
In her introduction, Anne Pasero aims to shed light not only on
this particular book but as well on the development of all of
Janés’ poetry. To that end, in her essay she discusses the
nature of women’s writing and autobiography, the meaning and
importance of the Ophelia figure in Janés’ poetic evolution, and
Janés’ literary relationship with Holan and its profound
influence on her work.
Anne Pasero’s work is the first of its kind in
English and invites readers and scholars to engage in the poet’s
writing process while also providing valuable insights into the
complex beauty of the Ophelia text and the overall nature of
Janés’ literary trajectory. Ophelia’s Voice thus promises
to be a significant contribution to the field of contemporary
Spanish poetry and to an enhanced appreciation of the rich
complexity of Clara Janés.
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CLARA JANÉS
is a well-known
Spanish poet born in 1940 and still writing prolifically to this day,
having published over 30 books thus far. She is highly regarded inside
and outside of Spain and is considered one of the country’s leading
writers. Her work questions and probes the essence of being while
simultaneously exploring the nature of female identity and creativity.
She was elected Member of the Spanish Academy in May, 2015.
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ANNE PASERO
is associate
professor of Spanish at Marquette University. Her fields of specialization
include Golden Age Spanish literature and contemporary Spanish poetry, with an
emphasis on women’s poetry and especially that of Clara Janés. She has published
numerous articles on Janés’ work as well as the translation of another of Janés’
books, Rosas de fuego (1996).
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