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Mark Harman, who has written extensively on German and Irish literature, is Professor of English and German at Elizabethtown College.
The perfect gift for any aspiring poet or, indeed, for anyone interested in good writing, is Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke, newly translated by Mark Harman. In this elegant little volume, Rilke writes to 19-year-old Franz Kappus about literature, life, and the poet’s vocation with wisdom and penetrating insight. -- John Banville * Daily Telegraph * This fresh translation of Rilke’s famous letters reminds us anew that Rilke is addressing not just his young correspondent but everyone, and that his advice is not only about how to write poems but how to live a deliberate, meaningful life. In these overly excited times, it is inspiring to listen to the patient counsel of this meditative man, this champion of solitude. -- Billy Collins If I could recommend only one book to a young writer, it would be Rilke’s perpetually fresh and penetrating Letters to a Young Poet, especially in Mark Harman’s lucid new translation, which so capably captures the original’s radiant intimacy. This small but inexhaustible volume belongs on every writer’s bookshelf. -- Dana Gioia
