Fe-Lines

The French have long had a love affair with the cat, expressed through centuries of poetry portraying the animal's wit and wonder. Norman R. Shapiro lionizes the felines' limitless allure in this one-of-a-kind collection. Spanning centuries and styles, he draws on she-cats and toms, and an honor roll of French poets, well known and lesser known, who have served as their devoted champions. He reveals the remarkable range of French cat poems, with most works presented here for the first time in English translation. Scrupulously devoted to evoking the meaning and music of the originals, Shapiro also respects the works' formal structures. Pairing his translations with Olga Pastuchiv's elegant illustrations, Fe-Lines guides the reader through the marvels and inscrutabilities of the Mystique féline .

Norman R. Shapiro, translator of French poetry and theater, is Distinguished Professor of Literary Translation at Wesleyan University. As Officier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres de la République Française and member of the Academy of American Poets, he has published numerous award-winning collections, including The Complete Fables of Jean de La Fontaine. Olga Pastuchiv's art enlivens a number of volumes, among them her children's picture book Minas and the Fish.