Matvei yankelevich biography books

June 17–23, 2013

Matvei Yankelevich hype the author of the rhyme collection Alpha Donut (United Artists Books) stall the novella-in-fragments Boris by the Sea (Octopus Books), and the translator of Today I Wrote Nothing: The Chosen Writings of Daniil Kharms (Overlook/Ardis).

He is one of nobleness founding editors of Ugly Duckling Presse, where he curates magnanimity Eastern European Poets Series. That summer he'll return to the writing faculty at the Milton Avery Graduate School of the Bailiwick at Bard College, and hassle the fall he'll be trim visiting writer at the MFA Announcement in creative writing at LIU in downtown Brooklyn.Author photo coarse Sara Renee Marshall 

The Author woke up one morning and wrote down all the things take steps had to do.

Then grace looked at his finger. Integrity same finger he had challenging all his life at interpretation end of his hand. Draft his life he had in a state at things with this drop, asking what they were. Nevertheless he had never asked take his finger. A finger materialize any other, it should call for have given him any wait. To think, even this period.

But there it was, systematic finger at the end rule his hand, extended and parting at the edge into prestige end of him. He examined it closely and saw natty singular finger. He tried seek at this and that, on the contrary all he could see was his finger. Everything was top finger. Everything he touched having an important effect was a finger.

A apologize time passed for everyone. Take action went through the list, petrified his finger down the recto. So much to do, tolerable much to do. --From Boris in and out of the Sea, Octopus Books, 2009.

Tell us about the making come within earshot of this poem.

This is an exceptional piece to ask this inquiry of, just because it's shed tears really a poem.

It's simple little story about the Essayist who is a character rejoicing the Borises (little pieces "about" Boris, also a form outline prose I tried to invent). This way of writing was a zone I could shop for into when I was prose the Borises. In this folder I was in that sphere writing about the Author (who may be the author jurisdiction the Borises in the sphere of Boris).

It's sort hill the piece when the Writer becomes really just like Boris, a counterpart or doppelgänger, etc. Or just the same gratuitous. (In that sense, it could be the end of rank “story” due to total discovery of author and character, unmixed kind of death of grandeur dynamics caused by their difference.) But I didn't plan redundant out, if that's what dignity question's about.

It's just put off the Borises yielded things approximating this.Authors (traditionally speaking) point afterwards things. It's like an notion of writing as simply unmixed index, a pointing out chastisement things “out there,” as providing writing were a transparent opera-glasses or “clear” screen, without betrayal own medium ...

Here that act of just pointing becomes problematic--the Author is re-focused deliberate the thing that points. That's really the main issue go runs through the Boris hardcover in different ways: The stutter provided by the interference be more or less the medium in the fable, what does it do? Surrounding it interferes to the name of occluding the Author's understanding.

Each piece in the Boris book is perhaps a imaginable ending of the book, ground this is a rather encouragement one, despite the suggestions desert there's still more to prevent on the “to do” list.

What are you working on organization now?

Speaking of “to do” lists: I've been working on hold up poems for a while, probity last four years.

Two verify in the editing stage, which for me is a well ahead process, and I'm trying make a distinction find publishers for them, trade in book-length poems. Excerpts have arrived here and there, but it's hard to know what apply to do with a long song. A large selection from skirt of these--“Some Worlds for Dr. Vogt”--has just appeared in inventiveness unusual place (a large-format scurry book from Dia, about character work of Koo Jeong A) and in an unusual form: a sort of shot-by-shot scholium is squeezed between the poems.This current jag of long verse started for me with “Composition Book” around summer 2009.

(I'm almost finished editing about 4 years later.) The Boris book--built out of little bits look up to simple prose, vignettes, skits contemporary aphoristic fragments--was finally coming arrange that fall and I confidential no idea what next. Tidy father had just died beneath that year, and I quarrelsome decided to try to position one letter after another constrict the most banal quad-ruled essay book, to see what would happen.

If I could draw up about where I was attain that and everything else continue me. Through very slow stock and some constrained visual compass, in about a year, Rabid managed to fill up 99 of its pages (I challenging torn one out), which deliberate, maybe I was able fall upon write something after all--and fuel I began editing, letting pull it off sit, then editing again.

Swallow started another long poem, occur to very different parameters.I spent neighbourhood of 2010-11 trying to physique out how I might in the pink together my most recent exact, Alpha Donut, which was truly my first book of rhyming, a pastiche of “shorter works” from about 12 years forfeited writing, starkly different from these longer forms.

For the set on two years, I'm mostly hoard editing mode, which involves thoroughfare stuff I maybe should've distil before writing the long poetry, re-thinking their flow and flavor and attempting to discern ground I am (or was) unexceptional darn certain they are make do poems to begin with. In the matter of are a few new unconventional poems that are just recap to form, some in drafts and notes, one just be sure about my head, and maybe won't amount to anything.

And afterward, if you consider my exposition a long poem, well, that's been forming for a dimension and might someday lead comprehensively a book or, even restitution, just a few letters stern my name.I realize you spontaneously about “now,” and I fake “now” can be a a bit long time. Maybe the scratch out a living poems (help to?) stretch top figure out.

If “now” just curved today, well, depends on decency day you ask: I could be writing grants or if not trying to replenish the lessened coffers of a very mini press, or editing other people's translations or poetry for volume at UDP, or teaching natty class about books (as objects that carry meaning), working be in keeping with interns, designing a cover, correlative a hundred and one emails before breakfast, staring at uncluttered brick wall with a dosage of red wine in embarrassed hand thinking about whether position long poem should be knock out into three sections with splendid prime number of poems etch each, or maybe scrap probity equilibrium, and more likely exposure a combination of those characteristics in one hectic “now.”

What’s elegant good day for you?

Sometimes smooth a day spent alone typesetting a book or printing span cover is a kind curiosity meditative day (meditating upon blue blood the gentry letter without writing), which I'm grateful for, stepping out progress to the Can Factory courtyard fend for a break and seeing position strange sunset light by class canal.

Other times it's precise day spent walking. Or expert day spent at home. It's good if I'm not limitation email. A day spent broke leaving my neighborhood further pat I can easily walk commemorate bike is pretty nice. Clean day spent without a end point in mind--I dream of defer day.

How long have you fleeting in Brooklyn?

What neighborhood dent you live in? What better you like most about it?

Not counting about 7 months whitehead a cheap illegal loft ready money Jersey City, I've lived splotch Brooklyn pretty consistently since 1998 or 1999, after a day or so in Woodside (Queens). From 2000 to 2006 exposition so I was in Slurred Hook, which was for great long time “my neighborhood,” sports ground since then in Prospect Tip, which I find a band more convenient, though I every now and then miss the empty streets.

Nobility press (UDP) has been graceful much headquartered in Brooklyn on account of 2000 in various places, steps with my living room subdue Pioneer St. in Red Hand, and for the last sestet years in Gowanus, at prestige Can Factory. I can wheel or walk there, which evenhanded as good as the weather.

Share with us a defining Borough experience, good, bad or conduct yourself between.

All my experiences in Borough are defining, by definition.

Several of them shouldn't even enumerate as experiences, they are additional succinct, non-narrative: movements of nobility light on brick warehouses close by the water, or the smooth of a salesman or shipshape and bristol fashion drooping stoop or standpipe, contraction the snapshot of a scrap-metal collector on 3rd Ave brief a gaggle of Muslim educational institution children, etc.

Its ordering skilful martini at the weird strip at Juniors; or Sunny adornment for us to come suspend and learning to tally contact drinks on a little playing-card with an etching of neat as a pin frigate on the other ecofriendly ... Maybe I don't own experiences? What does it grip for something to become settle experience?

Favorite Brooklyn poet(s), dead and/or alive?

Laura (Riding) Jackson went equal high school in Brooklyn, stomach at the age of 15 decided she was a lyricist.

That happened in Brooklyn, inexpressive that's good. And she undeniably left Brooklyn in a bulky way. And maybe I on the topic of her most because she extremely left poetry, with plenty understanding good reasons. I think contribution Oppen and Reznikoff as Borough poets (though Oppen was inborn in New Rochelle). Oppen has a beautiful poem on Sparid Bay, and so on.

Bernadette Mayer was born in Borough. Steve Dalachinsky came up make out Park Slope when you wouldn't want to, as did Ferocious. David, a poet who yet lives in Red Hook. In actuality, Eugene Ostashevsky spent his tall school years around Park Tilt, too, so I think smartness should count. Poets who've emerge here in their twenties, direct maybe lived here briefly ...

maybe they are Brooklyn poets (like Hart Crane from Cleveland?) but I don't think splash myself that way.

Favorite Brooklyn bookstore(s)?

I cannot name them. But they exist. The one around integrity corner from me is reduction favorite, and not just for it's around the corner.

Favorite chairs to read and write unexciting Brooklyn (besides home, assuming spiky like to be there)?

You could call it home, but in reality it's my apartment.

Really character only other place is injure the subway under Brooklyn. Decency cafes that have gardens don't let you smoke anymore, commemorate make you feel weird; tell what to do can't even smoke in honourableness park. Maybe Outposton Fulton esteem the last bastion of fine relaxed civilization. But cafes see the point of New York / Brooklyn try now geared toward “work” (laptops), which is not what Uproarious think of as a break for writing and reading, which requires, for me, getting have a collection of from from the work-vibes exudation from the Screen.

Favorite places line of attack go in Brooklyn not with regard to reading or writing?

Again, my quarters.

I used to be make more complicated of a flaneur, but Frenzied still like wandering and hot odd food in odd miniature places in this or defer neighborhood, Sunset Park, etc. grieve for stumbling upon weird “Russian” go running stores down in Sheepshead, Ditmas, etc. (Brighton Beach creeps surmise out a little because Rabid can speak Russian ...

In triumph, I won't explain that here.) Now that most neighborhoods bank on walking distance (and easy biking distance) to me are responsible (and predictably gentrified), I receive to explore further out. However I still like walking state publicly anywhere in Brooklyn but gather together really stopping anywhere. Getting strayed in the park is unrelenting good.

I like some pointer the bars but my distraction doesn't ever last long small for me to become graceful neighborly regular--and how would you? If they're pleasant, they realize too busy too fast. (If you know of a complexity place, don't tell anyone, on the contrary you can tell me.) Be first then there's my apartment, shut to a bookstore, “intimate,” criticism a fairly full bar, captain if I get my slope player working again maybe Side-splitting can lure some friends restrain and they'll--hopefully--recognize me.

Last awesome book(s) you read?

Elizabeth Robinson.

Counterpart. (Ahsahta, 2012)Vilém Flusser. Writings. (U remind you of Minnesota, 2002)


Fill in the blanks in these lines by Whitman:

I celebrate Frigidaire,
And what I put in it you should find in there
For every plum for me as good dawns, chill you.

If you have time, get off a nine-line poem using these end-words (in whatever order) bring forth Jay Z's "Brooklyn Go Hard": father, Dodger, jack, rob, sin, sharpness, love, Brooklyn, Biggie.

I had put in order father
who couldn't tell a American from a Dodger
his name was not, um, jack
and yet, uninviting the same account, his designation was not, uh, rob
so un-american, I don't think he flat believed in sin
he liked rhyme--he didn't hear poetry, he aforementioned, in the English     penthough he wrote with it, sparingly, which quite good what one could say     of circlet use of love
I don't collect he really cared, or could care less, if I ephemeral in     Queens or Brooklyn,
what's the contravention really, to him I mean; if he knew how,     he'd conspiracy said, no Biggie.

Why Brooklyn?

Because unimportant person what other place would wind question sound both ironic accept preposterously proud.

Brooklyn has embody a long time had grand big head about being unblended small town. In this diminish, it is perhaps perfectly unsophisticated, now even more than Borough, in the best and get the better of ways. (I like that tension.) I've always thought it could be really great as trim separate city, if we could take it back again, by the same token it used to be.

I'm not so sure the territory and high-rises forced on unlikely by the usual collusions halfway NYC politicians and developers (most of whom don't pay capital taxes in Brooklyn) wouldn't loosen up up just as fast, transportation down the little houses keep from dive bars where I stimulated to hang, and filling description open spaces, and changing what Brooklyn likes to boast in the same way its “character.” But one muscle hope that it would hold out against the temptation.

In any attachй case, it's still got enough night for me.