nick manho

that crazy woman poet who made me translate her first book of poems into english even though i couldn't understand the italian originals has been up to her old tricks again. her second book of poems is in the shops now and she also made me do the translations this time. i have to admit, though, that i understood a lot more second time around. after reading each poem about 40 or 50 times i started to get some idea of what she was hinting at. to be honest i even enjoyed one or two of them. i think.

here's the cover of the book:




and this is a photo of the crazy poet:




cute enough for facebook, right?


the book is 12 euros which is about the price of a big mac, coke and large fries. so, do yourself a favour, skip the trip to mcdonalds and buy the book with the money you've saved. and remember, if you don't go to mcdonalds you'll be saving the life of a cow, too.


BUY BOOK HERE

here's a free sample:


Nomina Nuda Tenemus


The island emerged divine in a month
of earthquakes, aurorae boreales
and columns of smoke like vessels on fire,
while emissions of hydrogen sulphide
took the lustre off the silverware.


The eruption over, the two craters
turned into small mineral ponds:
entering from the north, their iron-sulphur
waters steamed in columns
reaching several metres in height.


The British Navy set foot
on its shore, fresh with ashes
and treacherous to walk on: planted
the flag and named it after Graham,
the First Lord of the Admiralty.


The French left a plaque
the Neapolitans stuck an oar in.
By Royal Act of August 17,
the many-named island was annexed
to the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies.


Of the diplomatic incident
and the rattling of swords, the island's
incoherence had the better: the volcanic
edifice eroded and its remnants
readily merged with the sea.


That which remains, the Graham Bank,
sleeps the sleep of the rest of the seabed
balanced upon the grinding plates:
and is a pure possibility
of dry land, distinct from a mirage.


and if you're too thick to understand what the poem's about check out this informative wikipedia link:
http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isola_Ferdinandea

the grim reaper makes a guest appearance in the new manho article in the july issue of the Oldie


but it's not all doom and gloom, there are tangerines, brave doctors fighting against the odds, delicious cannoli filled with ricotta... check it out at your local newsagents now!

free read of the november Oldie manho article: Click Here

join manho in the november issue of the Oldie as he struggles to appreciate the delights of country living:




in all good newsagents and supermarkets now.

there's a new manho piece in the june issue of the Oldie (in the shops now).

it's carnival high jinks and fab four fun.

you can find the mag in all good newsagents and w h smiths. enjoy!

cream-filled sponge cakes in the shape of tits, crunchy dead-man's bones biscuits, chocolate eclairs that look like the heads of turbaned infidels... tuck in to the latest manho adventure in the january issue of the Oldie