Tyler Cowen Recommends Paul Celan Biography for Summer Reading
7 reported
Free Press columnist Tyler Cowen has selected a biography of poet Paul Celan for a summer reading list. The book, Paul Celan: A Life by Anna Arno, is described by Cowen as a first-rate biography that he found gripping from start to finish. Cowen notes that Celan’s mother was killed in the Holocaust and that Celan took his own life in 1970 by drowning in the Seine. The article states that the book is absorbing and the translation is very accessible, though Cowen acknowledges it is not a “fun” read given the topic. Cowen also praises Anna Arno as a potential top intellectual, citing her work on other figures and as a translator, though he notes some of her works are in Polish and inaccessible to him. The article mentions that there are many other quality selections in the list as well.
What’s reported
Tyler Cowen, a Free Press columnist, nominated a biography for a summer reading list.
The biography is Paul Celan: A Life by Anna Arno.
Cowen describes Celan as one of the finest poets of the 20th century.
Celan’s mother was killed in the Holocaust, and he drowned himself in the Seine in 1970.
Cowen found the book gripping and absorbing, with an accessible translation.
Anna Arno has written on Paula Modersohn-Becker and Konstanty Jeleński, and has translated Henry James into Polish.
The article states there are many other quality selections in the list.
Key figures
Tyler Cowen: Free Press columnist
Paul Celan: 20th-century poet
Anna Arno: Author of Paul Celan: A Life
Sources: marginalrevolution.com
