Finnish Poet Risto Rasa and an American Documentary Film by Matt Carlson

 

I discovered a poem by Risto Rasa during the writing of Surface Displacements. This poem, written in Finnish and published in his book Tuhat Purjetta (trans.: A Thousand Sails) inspired me.  

Niin kuin aalto uittaa aallon 

yli valtameren, 

niin selviydymme mekin toinen toisiamme tukien.

It has been translated like this:  Just as one wave carries another / across the ocean / so we too survive, one supporting another.  In the translation, the use of the English verb 'carry' is an excellent choice that conveys the intention of the poet.  

Rasa used the verb uittaa which means 'to float.' It comes from the verb uida, to swim. It could be said this way:  "just as a wave floats another wave over the ocean....  so we too will survive by supporting each other."  

It is interesting to me, as a learner of the Finnish language, that 'to carry' in the Finnish language is "kaantaa" and 'to translate' is "kääntää." It is spelled nearly the same, but the vowel changes from a to ä. 

Risto Rasa has said that in translation, no poem is exactly the same. Something will be lost. This might be true. It is impossible to carry the definition of a Finnish word into the English language without dropping some of historic or cultural associations. 

A filmmaker Matt Carlson created a touching documentary of Risto Rasa: Sielumaisema: The Risto Rasa Project.  He has not lost very much about this poet and his work, even though he relied on a translator to interview Rasa.  The film has deepened my appreciation of this poet. One realizes how important it is to reveal the poet's landscape and his voice. I recommend that you watch this wonderful film:   https://vimeo.com/372123395

Poet Laureate Reading featuring Sheila Packa & Ellie Schoenfeld and new poets

Come join this celebration of Duluth Poets Laureate on October 19, 2022, 6 pm at the University of Minnesota Duluth library, 4th floor!  

Poets Laureate Sheila Packa & Ellie Schoefeld will read along with notable poets Dani Pieratos & Tina Wiggins Wussow. 

Organized by David Beard, professor of rhetoric at UMD, Department of English, Linguistic and Writing Studies, this is the third of reading that featured poet laureates of Duluth.  In addition, each poet laureate has invited a young poet to join the reading.  The mission of the poet laureate program is to promote poetry and expand the reading audience.   

Reading at Fond Du Lac Tribal and Community College

 

Confluences: Writing, Composing, and Making Art from (or based on) Art: Artists' Talk & Poetry Videos!

November 6, 2022 at 3 pm at the Nordic Center, 23 North Lake Avenue, Duluth, MN Book Celebration & Reception

A Poetry Reading and Artists' Talk:

"Confluences: Writing, Composing, and Making Art from Art"

by poet Sheila Packa and Sara Pajunen (musician, composer, artist), Wendy Durrwachter (musician & composer) Kathy McTavish (digital artist and composer), & Leslie Hughes (textile artist).

Sometimes an encounter with certain artworks, music, or images of others can open a door and trigger a procession of images, associations, and reveries. This installation is a collection of work that reflects such encounters. Digital poetry videos, music, and textiles that are made in response to poems. will be installed. 

The audience will be invited to participate by way of postcards (bring your own or pick one up at the event) to write or draw an image, association, or reverie triggered by another's piece of art.

Link to web page with poetry videos, visual art, and audio exhibited at the Nordic Center:   https://www.sheilapacka.com/3rivers/index.html

Sheila Packa is a fiscal year 2022 recipient of a Creative Support for Individuals grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board. This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota thanks to a legislative appropriation from the MSAB arts and cultural heritage fund. This event also has been made possible by past grants from the Finlandia Foundation National and the Arrowhead Regional Arts Council.

For the preservation of wilderness and among many searching for home, this poet travels through mining excavations and waterways vulnerable to environmental contamination and climate change in Minnesota, where the Northern Continental Divide crosses the Laurentian Divide and creates three watersheds that flow into the Mississippi River, the Great Lakes, and Hudson Bay. These images capture the beauty of the north, and these stories, historical and contemporary, honor the resilience of people who arrive or are displaced, whose language is replaced by another language, and who find a fluid space full of risk and possibility.