German and Slavic Co-Hosts Poetry Without Borders 2016

Presented by the Department of Germanic and Slavic Languages and Literatures, “Poetry Without Borders” was held at 6 p.m. on November 8 in Foster Auditorium.

“Poetry Without Borders” is an annual, student-run literature reading forum where students and faculty present poetry from different languages and cultures to the audience.

Moderated this year by Ines Martin, a Ph.D. candidate in German Applied Linguistics and Language Science, a total of 30 participants took turns reciting their chosen poems — in the poem’s original language — in front of a crowd. A variety of Slavic and Germanic languages were among the selections.

In the background of each reading, a PowerPoint was presented showing the poem in the original language alongside an English translation for the audience to interpret the poem.

Some participants recited poems written by published poets, while John Henry Riccardi recited a poem he wrote himself in German titled “Arbeit.”