Contemporary Russian poetry An anthology

Anthologies of modern Russian writing are always welcome, especially in a bilingual edition, and this collection of works by 44 contemporary poets is no exception. Ranging from the "post-Soviet irony of Igor Irteniev to the fresh voices of poets just beginning to make themselves heard," this work offers a comprehensive survey of the poetry scene in today's Russia. All of the poets included here were born after 1945, so the collection as a whole represents a movement beyond the two wartime generations that long dominated Russian literature--a movement that enters into a distinct conversation with Russian literary history and models and that coexists--sometimes uneasily--alongside them. As one of the editors states, "Innovation and experimentation in poetry do not automatically challenge traditional forms," and it is how these new poets are able to draw upon and orient themselves with respect to Russian poetic traditions that gives this collection such vitality. Though the use of white space and small fonts sometimes makes it difficult to distinguish different poems and authors, this anthology is generally well designed and offers something new to both public and academic libraries collecting poetry and Russian literature.--A.S. Popowich, Univ. of Manitoba, Winnipeg (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.