Work

Decreation Poetry, Essays, Opera

In her first collection in five years, Anne Carson contemplates 'decreation' - an activity described by Simone Weil as 'undoing the creature in us' - an undoing of self. But how can we undo self without moving <i>through</i> self, to the very inside of its definition? Where else can we start?<br> <br> Anne Carson's <i>Decreation</i> starts with form - the undoing of form. Form is various here- opera libretto, screenplay, poem, oratorio, essay, list, montage. The undoing is tender, but tenderness can change everything, or so the author appears to believe.<br> <br> By turns exhilarating and bewildering, lucid and hermetic, Anne Carson is a maverick with a thrilling range of skills. As Charles Simic says, 'Carson takes risks, subverts literary conventions, and plays havoc with our expectations. She is a wonder- an unconventional, often difficult poet who has a huge following among today's readers of poetry and whose work has been honoured with our most prestigious literary awards.'