Update

Dear followers, friends, fans and other random browsers,

I hope 2022 has been a great year and that wherever you live, the shackles of the pandemic have been thrown off in your lives, be they from the disease itself, the State or whichever societal actor likes to do the shackling in your respective homeland. And that following the unshackling, the serenity of life as you all define it has been restored.

My pandemic-induced poet’s bloc is sadly still unresolved, and last year’s poetry binge didn’t ultimately help – but I am working on it! Reading ancient epics and sagas in particular – i.e. the Song of the Cid, (from Spain)The Tale of the Campaign of Igor (from the Kievan Rus) and The Gaucho Martin Fierro (from Argentina) – have, however, been helpful. As have poets who explore the darkest underbelly of our existence – basically, anybody similar to the mighty Leopoldo Maria Panero in chaotic darkness, or Jan Kochanowski in grief-stricken sadness. (the Baranczak-Heaney translation of Laments is amazing!) I am looking forward to seeing how my craft changes once this is all over.

I believe the poet’s bloc will be overcome soon since life is calmer now. Perhaps revisiting my early influences – Whitman and Ferlinghetti – will also help. But for those wanting to read more writing of a different type, I am now writing articles and essays on Arcadia, where I and others write academic yet accessible articles for those of us who cherish the artsiness of existence. I only recently discovered places that believe in shared values like this, and it’s great! Where have they been all this time?

Not only is it great to write about topics of which I can contribute something: the attention drawn towards these articles should also draw in more poetry readers. I am currently writing about literary translation, but plan to start a series on a different indeterminate topic in history or literature.

For those interested in reading those articles, click this link every Monday or Tuesday to read the latest article: https://www.byarcadia.org/profile/fpurat/profile

In other news:

• I now work as a writer (hooray!)
• Novel writing is going well: got several projects nearing completion, and a self-publication project that is ongoing; you guys will be the first to hear about it!
• Academic career is ongoing, and going well
• Will publish a short story here soon

That’s it for now. As it’s been a year, thanks to all of you who are still following this blog! You all are awesome, and I look forward to rewarding your continued subscription with some awesome future poems!

All the best,

• Felix

PS: happy Svaty Vaclav Day (or St. Wenceslas Day) to all you beautiful Czechs who follow this blog.