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The Antipodes of New Zealand? The presentation of Charles Olsen’s new collection of poetry Antípodas took place on 29 March 2016 in the beautiful surroundings of the Arcilla Foundation in Madrid, Spain. Published by Huerga y Fierro, Antípodas is a bilingual edition in Spanish and English. Participating in the presentation were the publishers, Charo Fierro and Antonio Huerga, the poet and philosopher, Ilia Galán, the Colombian poet, Lilián Pallares, Charles’s parents, opera singer, Marion Olsen and the Reverend Barry Olsen, and the author himself. New Zealand wine was kindly provided by Grupo Meddis.

What happened? The evening began with a toast by the Rev. Barry Olsen in Maori – ‘Today, this new bird flies. Charles’ book: Antípodas. Fly, bird, from Spain to the four corners of the earth.’ – Charles then presented his disquieting film poem ‘The Afternoon’ before taking us into the stunning gallery of the Arcilla Foundation where he presented two of his oil paintings and a stereoscopic photograph and read poems related to each in both English and Spanish. The publishers then told how they had met Charles through his wife, the Colombian poet Lilián Pallares, and had been seduced by his silences.

Ilia Galán Díez described the subtlety, a rare voice not often heard in Spain, with its delicate nuances, almost impressionist, and there is the occasional punch lying in wait beneath the words. The poems have many layers that reward rereading. Charles’s poetry draws on many sources but each poem is a world of its own, however, curiously, when one reads the whole book there is a unity. Galán mentioned powerful metaphors, tenderness, romantic elements, and how the poet can make us appreciate universes that before we were averse to.

Lilián Pallares spoke of the creative process of Charles, how he writes in Spanish, despite the difficulties of it being his second language, what she called the risk-taking of the artist. She described how Charles might see something and paint it, or take photos or film it, before later it becomes a poem. Antípodas is not only a geographical location, said Pallares, it is all the contradictions that live together in the poet.

The Reverend Barry Olsen read the opening poem which is translated by himself and Ko Te Haeata into Maori: ‘He Kongakonga Moemoeā’ or ‘Dream Fragment’, and the opera singer Marion Olsen sang a cappella versions of Pokarekare Ana and, in Spanish, a lullaby by Xavier Montsalvatge, drawing the presentation to a close.

And the public? Among those present were the New Zealand Ambassador in Spain, H. E. Michael Swain, and many well-known poets, artists, and musicians from the Madrid artistic scene. Here are a few of their comments:

'[Charles Olsen's] poetry, brief and succinct in general … is the height of delcacy, observation and method, of invention and fantasy, of supreme plasticity. More than words, it is image.'  Juan d’Ors, singer

‘Lilián revealed with great delicacy the soul and the artistic essence of the poet.'  Ángeles Fernangómez, poet

'A marvellous presentation! A beautiful book.'  Juana Vázquez Marín, poet

And the book? Antípodas (Antipodes in Spanish), a suitcase full of poems, a farmer’s dream, washing hung out, a murder in the midst of carnival, stories by the fireside, two pianists, art, painting, Venice, birds, aliens, women, nature – Antípodas takes us from the everyday to surreal moments, with touches of humour and mystery, without abandoning the sublime imagery characteristic of the author. Poet and artist Charles Olsen digs to the antipodes of his being to bring us visions of other worlds within our own. Unadorned, fresh and very emotive poetry.

View the booktrailer on Vimeo, Amazon.com, charlesolsen.es, Huerga y Fierro, Arcilla Foundation

Links: 

View the booktrailer on Vimeo
Amazon.com
charlesolsen.es
Huerga y Fierro
Arcilla Foundation