ThisnewtranslationcombinesfiveofAnaBlandiana’spreviouscollections,threeofprotestpoemsfromthe1980sfollowedbyhertwocollectionsoflovepoetry.AsoneofRomania’sforemostpoets,andaleadingdissidentbeforethefallofCommunism,AnaBlandiana’spoetryhasbecomesymbolicofanethicalconsciousnessthatrefusestobesilencedbyatotalitariangovernments.ThepoemsofPredatorStar(1985)andTheArchitectureofWaves(1990)chronicleaconvulsedhistoryandposethequestionofhowtoresisttheterrorofhistory.ClockwithoutHours(2014)marksareturntorhyme,asBlandianaattemptsacourageousrenovationoftraditionalverseforms.Herfiercelymilitantvoice-thathelpedinauguratethepostmodernidiominRomanianpoetryin1984-hasmodulatedovertimeintoanewtoneofforgivenessandrenunciation,expressedinmeditationsonthefragilityandvulnerabilityofbeing.ShehasalsowrittentwocollectionsoflovepoemswhichrankamongthemostbeautifulincontemporaryRomanianpoetry-October,November,December(1972)andVariationsonaGivenTheme(2018)-thesecondofthesecomposedafterthedeathofherhusband,RomulusRusan,in2016.Aprolificandexpansivepoet,AnaBlandianaconstantlyre-inventsherself.Herworkultimatelyreflectsonuniversalissues,onhumanexistenceitselfinour21st-centuryconsumersociety.
