Breathing Technique

Author: Marija Knežević

Translator: Sibelan Forrester

Publisher: Zephyr Press (2020)

One of Serbia’s most important living writers, Marija Knežević writes poems that often read as narratives, replete with characters, humor, pathos, and unexpected twists. Readers will meet a father and daughter frolicking on a Mediterranean beach during the continuing refugee crisis, or an Inca girl whose world will be destroyed by “milk-colored people,” or a beloved worldly heiress who wears men’s pajamas. Knežević also writes more classical lyrics about love, relationships, writing (or the blocks to writing), and an ample range of other topics. Her work fearlessly and frequently addresses current events and social issues, both in urban Belgrade where she lives, and more global concerns.

"A remarkable new collection... The poems of Breathing Technique feel like seeds planted, roots that will serve as a foundation to something larger. As the collection’s title suggests, a focus on what maintains life leads to the many moments of joyousness seen within these poems. The poet knows what it feels like to thrive and brings that to the reader, all while acknowledging the process to reach that point."

–Greg Bem