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M 1[1 VCillf~y poet Jane ~irshfield

tbe .... i¥I,le.E:IJ: bessn H,:._'L-t: id _.:I' ii;, -., ", - ..

,F."'~ . ~ e- ~~, •• !f,HJ ~nd£I' , l'IlfIIIJo ,;lClilI,iEI!laLIlU .1i'rI;;;t.

once a 'ir,-\mek 10 wOfk ~I:w'(mgh the poems, coofid'em all ~dong Ih;3[~, it ",'Ould be pubHsh{i:d. ''GenuaUj'' we wolil!ld begin with IM.a:ril~o ~¢imug:u sight rr-eiiiaiD,g for 111£;. 11'EUl we "d de(:ide if we :should ai:[ml'~. me translation 'Of:' not," HirsbfieL'l explained, SOl!r.i~ poems wculd 'COIlt:ll]1J Pl,llnS Qii'iI plUG 'll\;am-eSq, and Il'Ie ptill' wool41 decide illot l'Q. spend, tUffill:i on ~oou, .J~i'a~ ~;a:rl'i \"'(mld ;'lV<c; Hmhfj_.~M a Wo.rd for wum InIlnslacion ::1In:(I ,e;:;;::p'laj~ arty litlJ!~Uil~S fr-.oan The ]~m:es·e versioa, llir.slhJield! left t'b)Il:~, sessions 'II iili netes aad nomew'ork: her :Ilssi.gnmenm: was ItO WQd;: those notes into ,good EogHsh poems.

,. SOBle ,poems I dlidriJ,''t have a lot c·£' 'Wi[}~k lOo d,Q~ sometimes 1. 'WOuld do, e~ght OJ;' ten nanslanon ~ Ito. (lime poem." HLrs'hrfiGl!d said, 'L.Jj~ J'ap_neg 'th~ am wom;s, \ll!hlc~) M'e calloo kak:e.kotOb.1.S. nal !tU::mS One 'word. can have two oomp'~.el-e[y differ.en~ mea:.njngs/t- T.h.e :rroUo-w~"g poem centained a k;aJ_KekoOOl'Oa. thai cau~ed :~liif.'·11ri14:ld 'to s:pgl1ld more tiif'ne ,nn :ltie lrans:~rtJtion;'

.No w@.y to' se ,'lftrim

on this H;lI)I)n'less ri~,ht-

] 1i~ awake lQllgilf'j,g. bJ.'i!ffiilfll~ hreas~:s racing fire,

beart 111 fh!!me;s"

Hir-mnelrl expl.aiill,oo 'mlh:al .~i:'I.o way·' ~fid ""mQOJ'lless," W' Ie Ihe same 'word ill ~apanese; one Qf those k.ab&:atob:as. fual: made :ber wm:k: 'tougher. than one weuld imagSJ:I.e.

4~A.nolhe:r Ihi~g albt),lJl~ J.ap~~ is rlml: dte.re is. nQ 5IJ.11bj!:~: no. pro:n;oons are G:V,irl~liIt. Wn~.th'lllr ~~Ih~ni!l -referred 'to' i:s sirilg;uJlar or p'lurnl'is 'mfDl ikfl(rWfi!., El'!J~ if s ro~, vague' Of w:i!Sh;y~'wasby in J:8]Jt3i. nese, H(L!wever.;·ir iEfignsh it y,,\Oi.dd :sound, wish),wa~hy,:; Hirddlcldw, 'Q~lite (I~"'en she [0 nd ":t W'aS Iher diJokie between a ~01HI p!!OO'fl OJj" a, Ihbdl 'person 'O{iloome,

Adm.i~tlJjg she .00k Ih~ ,n.;]jce~ry Ubel1ies t'hru 'nf!~~lm.s, find ~hey are raced witlJJ~ e.spi!di]]:~)I' wl~h 'I~e '·~.i!'iklill)-wn!S·· app.~re~n ill the Ja:pa_q~e; 'hUllsm'Lse~ Ibl'$'hficld de(:ldedl'oo~ itO (:ilJn:Slllll't MY othu bans'~a,· iWiiliS: while "R~ln.~ on 'The 1rJJ:. .D(JJ'ir Moo~. ·'·'But tb.en~ 'When we: were gertli'f.1,g clo,sei" ('0 cO-iT!p~e,j'!lg: the prodecO.·[ d~d. Ome. ·oo.ausl,';,]' W!lLS urnid ofmaldJ'tg; mistaJke:s iillnd lwo', ]'WlW], ~llIri01J s," she said,

Arn.'[~i :s;~ghl read over e~,gi'u,IiJUn&'e<ll poems.ID Hi~Mieht 'if!ltey' ~Me,~ y.:p rram:::it~li~g ap-proxim~.1:ely six. hl1jt~. '\Vbh. '~he ~bef[ie3 Hi~~h;rie.ld ~d[ ~1~ - hru:ll to .ne:t- she 'made sane .A:ratar.d ~greed willli!, ~t"Le tt::UUda-niO!JlL ;'''Ve ''!.Ye lie oo~ atnMe ij rs, 'but we hbldi :00 problems wQtk~f'IIg IOge~Jber" [l was. ;(Ii :p'I~s~Jrc- 'work il:lig en ilIiiis." :Fo]" bomln or Uls.t.sne s~d. "Manko 'wM so excited ItO be ~b~e '~Q R _ 'he poeutS! in J,al:lm:t~se; and then experience ,Q, OOI1'1I!e.tnllom_'_1l}' nn:il!~uion of 1he't1l. It woulid be tike.:reru;1lan : Chaucer. MII~. '[bell ro 00 ,ahie ro I'Mlf:1k of ,i~ 1n cal'litem.pornry' m~s,.·'

Wi~h ~f1e ,n~I.p. of mei.r. o:t,gen[~ Michael KP.~.l, Ihe book \\'~ iUlke:tIi 10. N'e,w y,ott~ KalZ was,.pre:sel1.til~g OOoks on ~'n~s:s to Charles l.e:'I;!i.ne at 'M:ttfHi:ttLl1 illll'il, !l.e .. ~ne keJt lookIn.g .3t K:umz',s: Iirrie:rCLl8e:~ 8ay1n~; "whiU,'else- have y.ou go.tT' E'Ve:nnma1!ly EII,tt :dtco'!.vcd Levine T/l-e.lnlt, D.fJi'kool1. ,and. as Hirs:lltfiekll expl;l)j.ined~ Levl!ne was, ready 'to 'W'riil:e a. ckec',k 'fmmhe. Rl~lM1lsc:ript l~eJ:li and t'litere,. "·'V-ill!. d~~ c!JJ:mge;s.IlhM:

Mat:1]lilluli w~Iili!.lhfOI,li,gh i;ti!loef.'lhe), bouglu Ih~ '~.k. [ lhi'mik it'.'I. I3i mirac:.ire. U:uu we didifil'lt .g.et ;Cut :fOO:rn 'Ihe s:ch~'d!l!l.l~! ~~ Hirs.hfi.e.1d s.~lid" LtNin~ '~~n M:at:Illi~n;[IJMI~ mhe :inmn~ 'e:!l1rly suppon was ,g'Dn~ Howe ..... ,r; Levine's ~~ 'fe;l't ~ha;~ if l.evil'ie ibclig'!{edi .in Ihe POClIy:815 mJUcH!J .as:be did, Ibm: Macmilh~.f! shQ1Jldn"i:

..,' .~[ •. '1.' -~- h'

g;~v·· Jim. up'. -- ml~.1lK ~1'S was, :sometlfiJin~ d1~~ s.nowcd

~he, ptUb]ig~eot that P'Xtrr can work. Pl,lib'~is.hecrs should 'lito!: a!hand.Olil,ll,:emtlllrt:.'" she: added_ "']~' s a.

~eame.d m1 t'O I~ad :~lJ. IliaJ'·~ 'Why ,~'hlisher~ £hy a.\\',~"y· from iit .[ dTiillik: T1i.f. 1M. Dark MDOtt cQUDd help, iUI;"i'e (feadm) J;'i;discov. _I" poc:try."

A'IDh.Oll,gh -w&k:a.s an,'~ llUIrus 31fi~ $lill [lil'ty,alcrn in m.od~ J:ipme~. wrin:in' ., HJrshf:IJdd remariin5 tm"¢d 10' 11~e. ,il.ne:L'¢ir!t ·writin,g. . 1'I!I;'1J ;OiJry 1·~I~t!.l:..rc:. '~he:rli'~S ,0. Jeally s,ecjal :powcr ro '!be: :i1r:t~ bloom. as in ~e firs;t fn1ii: of the u-ee,,'" Iii.;¢ s:nd. [n~.e .first tllrrct or fum' :Ih;u:millroo ye.a:ts. of !J~eiF hi~tory, the Ja.palle:S(: people adlopled ahe&r w'rillin~ fWID Chillll;!JJ. D~i'i~ ':ClGlachi's; and. S·lfIri50::.ibtli·'·s tHne.~, i3! brailld. new :sys~em, of wrl:t.i.:!ll w.a,:s. ~ilf!i, fi.tl!OpIOO. HThe WO~t:1iii wt.1iC th'i!l ones who (:tl'S'[ g,u,t '~o use [his :new s!ls[,em: lJhe)" were 'th~ ones who were de.'lo'c.lopi~g Ilbe S;1,stemnil~> Hir~ shifitld e.~pl::dnerl bec!ifl,~se. .mIt:: 'me:EIJ weUce ~mmelll1 o-ffi<:l:o.JS. and Chille~~ W8S thti: offL1t:::laO ·Iefil:gu:ilgc. The ;poems '~l1!at Hks.-ifieild. 3!.Iit"<m Anu-'ni limns lat ed wC:Jfe the ftr.S.: 'Wri.tlll'lgs lfonl !1J'~S: It¢W. .sr.st~I1I11i, ~~i:m ha:s 1J1e pl~riry of first e:pressiolill:"

It's that special power, which un ~e heWt'llIlting a'uJrnCaro HirnbfieM to 'thi:s, poctJj'.~, tht~t. alw,!lYS, lir)iId~

"If som,eolla had done' this betore. I w,olJldn ~t hove gone \ dam n, somebo·dy beer me to' it .. • I would h;Qve ,cr, as'red.

h.er want ItO ·fTC·- dI·m.g.tt:. Now with The .Ink Dart Moon outon ~m.e :s·h;eJlv~:s.. 5:n~'s ~y 1.0 sit 'bae~ and !re2id. tile pl!:)¢m_s :9Ilain~ as. well as wOlt. more en her own p~tl'y. "My' rieoos HE chasmts,i'l'lg 'Iin, beeause I'm :ID if: C:b~ed aoo-u~ 1~ lM.Da,..,-t, M~i' :QDlcl ]"m 111101 S\3!ying: much. ifi;OOut OfG,.,~v:it}' and A.!'iigti',~,,,~i' Hinhfreld. said. ul"m so. e~ubtnmt abont this; (Tlut .1[~k D't1n MMJ.~') belC!n~St I '1QiI1iIs dl~ mnch~.f.e, I c~n 'I: ~e: c:redil f.or the ~v.nting, but y~Jt, [ 'Feel exll'am(Unar,y. 'b¢¢~lIIise 'm f¢-el rYe done one .gQOd th.ing. in [he \ii/mLtll.··· stir:; mid.

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