Gabriel Rosenstock is one of the finest and most prolific poets of our time and has been a notable force in Irish writing since he first put pen to paper. He is one of the INNTI generation of poets who revolutionized the world of poetry in Irish, and he counts among his peers Michael Davitt, Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill and Liam Ó Muirthile. The 54 poems in this book provide an overview of Rosenstock's work over the last 25 years, and the English translations by fellow poet Paddy Bushe make the poetry accessible to a whole new audience.
In the foreword by Robert Welch he describes Rosenstock's poetry as world poetry. He writes; ‘Observation here, as Samuel Johnson said, has an ‘extensive view' and ‘surveys mankind, from China to Peru''. With a list of poem titles that includes
An Búda / The Buddha, Zenmhachnamh le haill / Zen meditation at a cliff, Mustanbih / Mustanbih, Selbstporträt / Self-portrait and Billie Holiday /Billie Holiday, Rosenstock's world view is very evident. With an emphasis on themes of universal importance, this collection is testament to Rosenstock's status as one of the most insightful poets of our time.
