Lorine Niedecker's First French Translation Marks Objectivist Revival

José Corti has released 'Louange du lieu et autres poèmes,' marking the first collection of works by American poet Lorine Niedecker (1903-1970) in French, as part of a revival of the Objectivist movement. This compilation, translated by three individuals and featuring a preface by Abigail Lang, includes half of Niedecker's body of work. A librarian from rural Wisconsin, she was inspired to explore Objectivism after encountering Louis Zukofsky's anthology in 1931. Niedecker maintained correspondence with Zukofsky, who became her lover, and returned to Wisconsin following an abortion. While living simply and working as a hospital cleaner, she crafted poetry that distills daily experiences into five-line stanzas reminiscent of haiku. This release aligns with new French translations of works by Reznikoff, Zukofsky, and Oppen, signaling a resurgence of interest in Objectivism.