Laureate’s House Sale/Poet’s Remains Repatriation Blocked – Poetry News Roundup August 24th

Today’s poetry news round-up looks at the home of the former US poet laureate, which has been put up for sale and the court blocking the return of a poet’s remains to his homeland.

California Home of US Poet Laureate Up For Sale

Nestled in one of the most established residential areas of Fresno, California, the family home of Philip Levine, the former US poet laureate, has just gone up for sale. The house has been owned by the poet and his family since the beginning of the 1970s and is considered by many to be a piece of literary history.

The original 1920s property was the home of Levine and his wife for many years, and it was here that the Pulitzer prize winner and former poet laureate of the US much of his award-winning poetry. The couple moved to the property when Levine began his teaching career at Fresno State University. He served as US poet laureate from 2011 to 2013 and was a winner of the National Book Award for Poetry twice, 1980 and 1991, winning his Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1995.

Levine died in 2015, and his wife this June. The property has been placed on the market by their son.

Repatriation of Iranian Poet’s Remains Blocked By German Court

On Saturday, the German courts moved to prevent the repatriation of the remains of Amir-Hushang Ebtehaj, the renowned Iranian poet. The move came following a complaint from the late poet’s daughter.

The court stated that a further hearing would be held but made no mention of the complaint that had been made with regard to the repatriation request.

The poet who used the pseudonym “Sayeh” for his writing was 94 and died of old age issues in Cologne on 10^thAugust 2022. Following his death, the Ministry for Culture and Islamic Guidance in Iran indicated that they would make the arrangements to transport his remains home for burial. This was due to take place last Wednesday, with a public funeral scheduled for the Friday. It is believed that the arrangements were cancelled as a result of an official issue at the German end of the arrangements.

Officials in Iran had allegedly been hoping to bury the poet’s body under a Judas tree in Tehran; in reference to a poem he once wrote. However, they have now denied this as burial on a historical site in the country is forbidden. In 2008 the house where the poet once lived was added to the national cultural heritage list.

Ebtehaj was considered by many in the world of Iranian literature to be one of the most prominent contemporary Persian poets. He wrote his first poetry collection when he was just 19, and further collections quickly followed. He was a master of the ghazal and also produced several collections in blank verse.

He was drawn to the radio in 1971 to combine his love for music and poetry and was chosen as the director of a professional program that contained Persian music, Golha. He even went on to record a number of his own music albums.