Lonesome Saviour, The

Translator Matthew Landrum writes: "I first met Agnar Artuvertin at Hvonn Brasserie in 2011, two years after his collection of poetry Jahve Kemur Aftur (The Return of Jehovah) made its debut. We drank wine and talked about his book and the controversy surrounding its release. Satirizing politics - it's dedicated to the prime minister of the Faroes - the book covers a range of controversial topics including gender, sexuality, and prostitution. When I asked him about the title, he explained that it reflected his views that the poet should sit in judgement over society like an avenging Old Testament God. A year later, Artuvertin landed in jail after a fight. When he was released a few months later, we translated some of his new work, what would turn out to be the last poetry he wrote before giving it up. The tone and tenor of his verse had changed. Gone were the self-assured judgements and scathing critiques. The vision of the God of wrath was replaced by Prometheus, the lonesome savior, solitary and misunderstood, offering his body and soul to torment to bring light to society." A Faroese poet and translator with 28 books to his name, Agnar Artuvertin lives in Torshavn in the Faroe Islands. A collection of his poems, entitled Ifreann, was published by Coisceim, Dublin, in 2012. Translator Matthew Landrum was a 2012 summer program fellow at Frodskaparsetur Foroya [the University of the Faroe Islands]. His translations have appeared in numerous journals including Modern Poetry in Translation, Asymptote, and Rhino Poetry. He lives in Detroit.