"[T]hese lovely translations will enable American readers, many of whom will be encountering these poets for the first time, to see what all the fuss is about."--David Skeel, Books & Culture "Every now and then, poetry is capable of hitting the mark--more simply, accurately and succinctly--than anything else in the world. It can touch, heel, inspire, enquire, and what's more, understand, during periods of extreme pain, peril and anguish; which, if we really, really think about it, is what accounts for poetry's inexorable validity. So when something great comes along, it certainly lightens the load and brightens the day. It's simply wonderful, and as such, ought to be embraced with both open arms and an open heart. Such is the case with Love Lessons, the selected poems of one of Italy's most beloved and important poets, Alda Merini."--David Marx, davidmarx.co.uk "Little translated ... in the English language, [Alda Merini's] work is intelligently presented with an insightful introduction by American translator and poet Susan Stewart."--Greta Aart, Cerise Press "The line-by-line accuracy of Stewart's translations nearly makes of Love Lessons a primer for students of Italian."--Will Schutt, West Branch
"Alda Merini is one of the most powerful contemporary female poets writing in Italian. In poems marked by a visionary clarity and lyricism, she sings of the anger and pain of both erotic love and insanity. Susan Stewart's translation is breathtaking. She has accomplished the impossible: a faithful, almost line-by-line translation that is deeply and authentically poetic. The poems speak in their own tongue."—Margaret Brose, University of California, Santa Cruz