Palávora by Salgado Maranhão

Poetry. Native American Studies. Translated by Alexis Levitin. "Alexis Levitin's translation of the Afro-Brazilian poet Salgado Maranhão succeeds in negotiating the quirky experimental richness of Maranhão's Pre-Columbian, Amazonian, and Yoruba influences with his traditional rhymed lyrics and jazz-like syncopations. Levitin skillfully alerts us to the presence of a complex and offbeat poet whose work merits a wide audience."--Colette Inez

"Salgado Maranhão's PALÁVORA is a fierce, metaphysical testament and testimony to the power of the human spirit and the necessity for the world of the poet and poetry, 'expressing a language of within / printed on a horizon of beyond...'. One of South America's leading poets, Maranhão's music is masterfully translated here by one of the foremost practitioners of that art in English, Alexis Levitin. Here is essential, brilliant poetry."--Mark Statman