Episode #38 - Burl Horniachek and To Heaven's Rim

I had a conversation with the poet and anthologist Burl Horniachek, prompted by, but not limited to, his recently released anthology of Christian verse To Heaven's Rim, which collects poetry dating from the earliest centuries of the faith up until 1800. It is dedicated entirely, moreover, to poets outside the Anglophone world (in translation), and succeeds better than any other anthology at giving readers a proper sense of the sheer scope--cultural, historical, and geographical--of the Christian world.

We discussed the anthology, particular poets in it, and particular poets excluded from it. We also spent some time talking about the nature of translation and the special problems that attend translating verse.