The Boundaries of Twilight: Czecho-Slovak Writing From the New World (Many Minnesotas Project) [Paperback]

C.J. Hribal (Editor)

Book Description

Series: Many Minnesotas Project | Publication Date: January 1, 1996

poetry, fiction, non-fiction writings

Editorial Reviews

Review

My Guest by Benedict Auer
Plums by Joseph Bruchac
The Idea That Holds Water by Paul J. Casella
An Extract From The Edwin Meese Commission On Pornography In America by Tom Domek
Geo. Kupper's Father by Tom Domek
Will Cogan's Map by Tom Domek
For My Mother, Who Lives: 4 by Lorraine Jean Duggin
The Legend Of Libuse by Lorraine Jean Duggin
1956, The Year My Sister, Using Her Ill Health Once Again ... by Susan Firer
Relics by Susan Firer
Endurance by Carolyn Forche
On Returning To Detroit by Carolyn Forche
Photograph Of My Room by Carolyn Forche
Beginning Grief by Maryann Franta
Eczema by Maryann Franta
Sugar Cube by Maryann Franta
An Abandoned Hothouse by Jirina Fuchsova
Freedom by Jirina Fuchsova
V. Nezval by Jirina Fuchsova
Hearing Him Talk by Barbara Goldberg
How The Past Inhabits by Barbara Goldberg
Elegy For The Burned by Patricia Hampl
Louanne And The Biker by Aedan Alexander Hanley
Louanne And The Music Lesson by Aedan Alexander Hanley
Adrift by Charles George Hanzlicek
Cemetery In Dolni Dobrouc, Czechoslovakia by Charles George Hanzlicek
Debt by Charles George Hanzlicek
Prague Wreaths by Charles George Hanzlicek
Girls In Yugoslavia by Mary Kolada Harris
But by Vladimir Holan
Dawn by Vladimir Holan
It Is Not by Vladimir Holan
From The Retrieved Notebook by J. L. Kubicek
Pittsburgh by Terrance J. Lappin
To A Child Running by Terrance J. Lappin
Asses by Freya Manfred
Hair by Freya Manfred
Toes by Freya Manfred
Closing Distances by Paul Martin
What I Know About My Grandmother by Paul Martin
Family Bible by Al Masarik
Runoff by Al Masarik
Widow by Al Masarik
The Contortionist by William Joseph Meissner
Drawing Swastikas On The Fogged Windows Of St. Joseph's Grade School by William Joseph Meissner
Poem For The Insects In Fall by William Joseph Meissner
Remembering That City Bus Ride In Quito, Equador by William Joseph Meissner
Devastated By Love by Oldrich Mikulasek
Muteness by Oldrich Mikulasek
Desire by Charlotte Nekola
Don't Read Those Stories by Charlotte Nekola
Good To Eat by Charlotte Nekola
Bohunk Love by Deborah O'harra
Litost by Deborah O'harra
A Killing In The Old Country by James Ragan
The Lake Isle Of Bled by James Ragan
Sisyphus Blind by James Ragan
Circus by Jaroslav Seifert
History by Jaroslav Seifert
Lawn Tennis by Jaroslav Seifert
Love by Jaroslav Seifert
Poet by Jaroslav Seifert
Solace by Jaroslav Seifert
The Map Is Not The Territory by Chris Semansky
Afterwards by Daniel Simbo
Coda by Daniel Simbo
Deposition by Daniel Simbo
A Field Of Red Poppies by Daniel Simbo
Homage To Georg Trakl by Daniel Simbo
Words by Jan Skacel
I Didn't Come To Forget by Bronislava Volkova
I Do Not Spring From The Earth by Bronislava Volkova
In The Little Satchel Of Silence by Bronislava Volkova
-- Table of Poems from Poem Finder®

Product Details

• Paperback: 354 pages
• Publisher: New Rivers Press (January 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0898231213
• ISBN-13: 978-0898231212
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,449,944 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not the best of the bunch, February 15, 2000

By 

"vparobek" - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Boundaries of Twilight: Czecho-Slovak Writing From the New World (Many Minnesotas Project) (Paperback)

Once the Iron Curtain was lifted, several anthologies of contemporary Czech literature came out. One of the earliest, published in 1991, is this one published by New Rivers Press in Minnesota. It is an odd compilation simply because many of its 30-some contributors are not of Czech origin nor even write on Czech or European themes! Rather, BOT is from "the North American Czechoslovak community of writers" (whatever that is supposed to be). One good thing in the book is the intro by editor CJ Hribal who does a nice job summing up the eclectic and diverse character of the former Czechoslovakia and its' proud history. But why include a short story written by someone named L. Pappeno whose only claim to Czech/Slovak roots is a "Czech grandmother" (according to her contributor bio)especially when this story ("her first published story") has nothing to do with the former Czechoslovakia or its culture? There are several such perplexities through this volume penned by American natives who seemingly have no connection with anything European. I liked the obligatory piece, though, by Skvorecky and I did get my first sampling of the much-heralded Jaroslava Blazkova whose short story "Circe" combines the oft-used Czech elements of fantasy and realism. I liked the poignant "Ma's Dictionary" by Milan Kovacovic, too. There is likewise an obligatory piece by Skvorecky's wife, Zdena Salivora whose work seems to appear in any volume that his does. But why the short story "Texas Baby" by someone named Joyce Kehoe, described in the contrib's notes as "one quarter Czech?" There are three sets of B&W photos in BOT. In the first set, there are some great photos of a party in Moravia, former communist officials and mountain shots of what I presume are the Tatras. There is a great photo showing the grieving masses at the 1948 funeral of ex-President Edward Benes, but then by the third set of photos, all coherence vanishes. A picture of candymakers in Afghanistan, a Freemason, a Pakistani and a Swede having coffee and then some bleak shots of a deteriorating part of New York City...these photos make as much sense as "Texas Baby." On a more positive note, I liked the short pieces by Americans (?) Meehl and Martin and the two pieces by Pat Hampl, the longer one from her Romantic Education and the shorter from her later novel about Dvorak. As a big fan of Czech writer Iva Pekarkova, I was tickled to discover an excerpt from her 1994 novel Truck Stop Rainbows, which had not yet been published in English at the time of this anthology. The notes describe the excerpt as "coming from her forthcoming novel "Feathers and Wings" (a nice bit of trivia here for IP fans. This alone would be worth buying the book!) So if you're looking for an anthology of Czech writing, better look elsewhere. BOT has some good points--I appreciate the brevity of the selections and the first two sections of photos--but many of the works are simply nonsensical.

4 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars At last! Writings from the Czech-Slovak American experience, March 22, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Boundaries of Twilight: Czecho-Slovak Writing From the New World (Many Minnesotas Project) (Paperback)

At last! An anthology of writings from the Czech-Slovak experience