Some of you may remember that I participated in Thomas’ (Mystwostotinki) Bulgarian Literature Month in June. Right after the month was finished, I was offered a copy of Svetlana Lilova’s poetry collection Metaphysical Dictionary. Svetlana Lilova was born in Sofia, Bulgaria and emigrated to Canada as a teenager. Langauge is one of the major preoccupations of any expat or immigrant. So it’s not surprising that Lilova’s collection is inspired by this experience and written in the form of a dictionary.
This is such a unique collection. It combines Lilova’s poems with drawings by Graham Falk. The result is as original as it is thought-provoking.
You can open it anywhere you want and you’ll find something that will surprise or delight you.
It’s possible to read the book from beginning to end, but it’s equally rewarding to just open it at random and read an entry here and there.
If you click on the images, you can read a few of the entries. Here are some more:
nature an endless song
a symphony of diversity and balance
inertia outwardly;
a lot happening on the inside
demanding all attention
vital to attend
focus
inwardly;
not moving enough to produce
a reflection or substance
to focus on
sad unknown
suffused with rose water
choice what we all have
This is the kind of book that would make an excellent gift. Not only for lovers of poetry and quirky texts, but also for those who enjoy the combination of words and drawings.
