If you've been anywhere near a television, computer, magazine stand, radio, or have stepped outside your house within the past month, it's probable that you've been exposed to the Olympic fever. One of the greatest examples of international cooperation and achievement, the Olympics are a true testament to human accomplishment. (It also doesn't hurt that they're so darn exciting to watch!)
In the era of superstar-athletes and tweet-worthy national rivalries, there is also a creative ancient Olympic tradition that has, to some extent, fallen by the wayside; it is a tradition of poetry walking hand-in-hand with Olympic sport. This year, National Public Radio is helping to revive poetry's place in the Olympics with the
NPR Poetry Games, where poets "go for the gold with Olympics-inspired verse."
This week, listeners will determine the winner of best poetry from five chosen poets, each representing their own corners of the globe. And BOA is proud to announce that two, count 'em,
two of these five chosen poets are BOA authors!
Representing Europe in the Poetry Games is Slovenian poet
Ales Steger, with his poem "
Once More." His first translation into English
The Book of Things (BOA, 2010) was translated by Brian Henry and won last year's Best Translated Book Award for Poetry. Steger's "Once More" is read in English by the same award-winning translator of
The Book of Things, Brian Henry.
Hear the poem, read this week on the NPR
Morning Edition, and
cast your vote!
Representing North America is Buffalo, New York's own
Kazim Ali, with his poem "
The Wrestler." Ali is the author of
The Fortieth Day (BOA, 2008); he will be returning to the Buffalo area for a reading on Sunday, October 21 (
more information).
Hear the poem, also read this week on the NPR
Morning Edition, and
cast your vote!
Read the amazing stories and poetry of these poets on NPR, and
cast your vote for the Olympic gold!
The Five Poems
*BOA Poets!
