The Refugee

This collection of poetry is translated from the Bulgarian into English by the poet with the assistance by Henry Taylor and Alicia Ostriker. “Vladimir Levchev’s work has been for several decades an important poetic bridge between Bulgaria and the US. This book will surely strengthen that reach.” —Elizabeth Kostova “These spare, beautiful poems—so imaginatively rich and expertly distilled—vibrate with a restless brilliance, reminding us, as Levchev writes in The Refugee, that ‘every minute/ has its secret corridors/ leading to dark rooms.’ Reading them, I felt as if I could hear the silences from which they are made now begin to gather themselves into these true and necessary words.” —Richard McCann, author of “Mother of Sorrows” “Vladimir Levchev’s poetry: An original voice, wise beyond its years. A dark vision, but beautiful all the same.”—The late William Meredith “His poetry is a place you’ll never want to leave. We are in the presence of a large spirit who writes in the greatest tradition of European masters. The world of literature is lucky to have him.” —Grace Cavalieri, Prooducer/Host “The Poet and the Poem from the Library of Congress”