Bruno K. Oijer Swedish poet by translator Victoria Haggblom at UC Berkeley 29 January.

Went to reading in European Studies department, Moses Hall, UC Berkeley  of Swedish poet Bruno K. Oijer, the title of the presentation, the title of one of his poems: “Even if Everything Ends”  He  did spend some time in Berkeley in the 70’s, likes beat poetry and rock and punk music…Victoria Haggblom has translated three volumes of poetry…she got her degree BA at Columbia University. She has lived for some time now in the US, currently in Berkeley. She studied with Rilke? Lesser who has transl Transomer.  She won Scandinavian Foundation Prize.   A friend gave her his poem, and she translated it so other friends could enjoy the work… // I liked the poems.//  Oijer has been one of the most popular and influential Swedish poets for decades, and is as well known in Scandinavia as Tomass Transtromer. He is in his late 60s?    He is also a musician, plays in rock and punk bands.  The Three Volumes are  after his first published book, Song for Anarchism, in 1973, : Medan Giftet Verkar (While the Poison Acts) 1990., Det Forlorade Ordet (The Lost Word. 1995) and Dimman av Alit (The Fog of Everything 2001).  He is concerned with backward glance to WWII period and tech changes of landscape which is agricultural in N Sweden, inspired by  Cohen and Bob Dylan,  I especially liked the last poem though the others resonated as well…

We were born

With an immense longing

Through a

Rushing train window

At night

You see a glimpse

Of space’s handwriting

Impossible to read

Somewhere

In the winding weave

Of gleaming ink

Is the answer

To our lives.