Ron A. Kalman
Ron A. Kalman | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | March 6, 1959 Haifa, Israel |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Brandeis University |
| Occupation | Poet |
| Parent(s) |
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Ron A. Kalman (born March 6, 1959) is an American poet known for his poems that have been translated into several languages and published in nearly a dozen countries. He’s also known for his translations of the Hungarian poet Attila József into English.[1]
Early life and education
Ron A. Kalman moved about extensively as a child. He was born in Haifa, Israel where his parents, Gabor J. Kalman and Suzana Kalman, immigrated to after leaving Budapest during the Hungarian Uprising of 1956. When he was 3 years old, the family moved first to Paris, then to Boulder CO and finally settled in the Boston area in the United States when he was 7. He attended the prestigious prep school Milton Academy, received a BA from Brandeis University and an MFA from Emerson College.
Career
With the publication of his first collection of poems, Appearance of the Sun by Main Street Rag Publishing, Ron A. Kalman’s poetry came to the attention of a larger audience and won him praise from many in the industry. The publisher Robin Stratton, for instance, wrote, “Kalman uses just the right words to tell the tales of lovers, writers, dreamers, and fans of Allen Ginsberg in a way that sparkles and zaps. This is, to me, what poetry is all about.”[2]
Style and themes
Ron A. Kalman’s influences include Henry Miller, the Beats and Frank O’Hara, and his poetry combines a larger autobiographical project with a sense of immediacy and wit that often makes it feel as if he were writing about events as they are happening. Significantly, after finishing his MFA, he declined to follow a more traditional career path and chose instead to work, first, as a hospital courier and, later, as a limo driver, thus allowing him to immerse himself more fully into his artistic project and create his unique aesthetic. Much of what is important in his writing is not expressly stated but exists as a backdrop to his life and work.[3]
Publications
Books
Anthologies
International literary projects
Recognition
- The entirety of Appearance of the Sun was translated into Hungarian by the renowned internation director Gábor Dettre and published in Librarius (Hungary)
- A representative selection of his poems, translated by María Del Castillo Sucerquia, was Included in the Poesía Universal section of Altazor, revista electrónica de literatura (Chile)
Personal life
Ron A. Kalman continues to live and write in the Boston area where he meets regularly with a loose band of Somerville based writers known as The Bagel Bards.
References
- ↑ "Brookline Post-Pan (We Hope): Ron Kalman, a poet behind the limo wheel". Wicked Local. Retrieved 8 February 2025.
- ↑ "Boston Area Small Press and Poetry Scene". dougholder.blogspot.com. Retrieved 8 February 2025.
- ↑ "Lyrical Somerville – May 15". The Somerville Times. Retrieved 8 February 2025.