Casting Off

Now in her 70s, Claribel Alegria is universally recognized as the major living poet of El Salvador. Casting Off extends the themes Alegria explored in Sorrow : the loss of a loved one, solitude, and reflections on the past. As the title implies, this collection is also a lyric "My footsteps are leading / toward quiet solitude / toward the star-silence / that has no more questions." She is becoming increasingly well-known in the U.S. as a result of her many tours, readings, and residencies. She will return to the U.S. in the spring to promote Casting Off . The English versions in this bilingual edition are by renowned translator Margaret Sayers Peden, who beautifully preserves the lyric quality of this major poet at the height of her career.