Paper Children

Author: Mariana Marin

Translator: Adam J. Sorkin

Publisher: Ugly Duckling Presse (2006)

Mariana Marin’s politically charged poems are here translated by Adam Sorkin, a well-known specialist in twentieth-century Romanian literature. Marin was the poet maudit of her generation and a prominent member of Bucharest literary society. Her poems, rich with metaphoric language and symbolism, are pained cries for justice in an unjust society. Marin is an excellent introduction to contemporary Romanian poetry; Paper Children is a seminal example of oppositional poetry during the final years of totalitarian communism in Eastern Europe.

"For authentic writers, like Marin, there are no walls, no borders, no visas, no passports, but only one 'flag' that unites us all, people of the Wild East and the Wild West: beautiful poetry."

–Saviana Stanescu

"Mariana Marin's music testifies to the poisons of history and geography. Marin is all poet and her work makes it darkly and swiftly into English."

–Andrei Codrescu

"Poetry of this quality and incision deserves to be translated to the last word."