Tomas Venclova

Tomas Venclova is a prominent Lithuanian poet, intellectual and Professor Emeritus at Yale University, US. While living in Soviet Lithuania, T. Venclova became a dissident. He left the Soviet Union in 1977. In the United States, Venclova formed a triumvirate with two other émigré poets from Eastern Europe, a Russian poet Joseph Brodsky and a Polish-Lithuanian poet Czesław Miłosz. Having lived in the US for decades, Venclova is still very involved in the intellectual life of Lithuania and Europe. In his writings and by his personal example, the poet encourages the cultural and historical dialogue and challenges prevailing stereotypes. Venclova’s poetry, which blends history and personal experiences, has been translated into over 20 languages. His books include Magnetic North: Conversations with Tomas Venclova, with Ellen Hinsey (2017), Niezniszczalny rytm: Eseje o literaturze (Indestructible Rhythm: Essays on Literature), Sejny: Zeszyty Literackie-Pogranicze, (2003), Stat’i o Brodskom (Essays on Brodsky), Moscow: Baltrus-Novoe izdatel’stvo, (2005), and Vilniaus Vardai (Vilnius Personalities), Lithuania, (2006).