In this episode of My Life with Poetry, we meet Valzhyna Mort (1981, Belarus) — poet, translator, and professor at Cornell University, who has been living in the United States for nearly two decades. Writing both in her native language and in English, she is the author of three acclaimed collections: Factory of Tears (2008), Collected Body (2011), and Music for the Dead and Resurrected (2020), the latter chosen by The New York Times as one of the best poetry books of the year. Her work has earned her prestigious honors including the Crystal of Vilenica, the Griffin Poetry Prize, and the Rilke Prize.
In this interview, Valzhyna reflects on:
- the importance of selection after observation
- her very first urge to write poetry as a child
- the many beautiful gifts poetry has brought into her life
- being an obsessive reader and listener, and why reading across generations is vital to becoming a good poet
- the role of foolishness in poetry
- and the joy of meeting friends and fellow poets at festivals.
A poet of striking voice and presence, Valzhyna Mort shares with us how poetry continues to shape her life, her reading, and her friendships.
