Books & the Arts / February 20, 2024

Jonah

Tomaž Šalamun

how does the sun set?
like snow
what color is the sea?
wide
Jonah are you salty?
I’m salty
Jonah are you a flag?
I’m a flag
all the fireflies are resting

what are the stones like?
green
how do doggies play?
like the poppy
Jonah are you a fish?
I’m a fish
Jonah are you a sea urchin?
I’m a sea urchin
listen to the murmur

Jonah is the roe rushing through the forest
Jonah am I watching the mountain breathe
Jonah are all the houses
have you heard about the rainbow?
what is dew like?
are you asleep?

(Translated from the Slovenian by Brian Henry)

Thank you for reading The Nation!

We hope you enjoyed the story you just read, just one of the many incisive, deeply-reported articles we publish daily. Now more than ever, we need fearless journalism that shifts the needle on important issues, uncovers malfeasance and corruption, and uplifts voices and perspectives that often go unheard in mainstream media.

Throughout this critical election year and a time of media austerity and renewed campus activism and rising labor organizing, independent journalism that gets to the heart of the matter is more critical than ever before. Donate right now and help us hold the powerful accountable, shine a light on issues that would otherwise be swept under the rug, and build a more just and equitable future.

For nearly 160 years, The Nation has stood for truth, justice, and moral clarity. As a reader-supported publication, we are not beholden to the whims of advertisers or a corporate owner. But it does take financial resources to report on stories that may take weeks or months to properly investigate, thoroughly edit and fact-check articles, and get our stories into the hands of readers.

Donate today and stand with us for a better future. Thank you for being a supporter of independent journalism.

Thank you for your generosity.

Tomaž Šalamun

More from The Nation

Vinson Cunningham’s Searching Novel of Faith and Politics

Vinson Cunningham’s Searching Novel of Faith and Politics Vinson Cunningham’s Searching Novel of Faith and Politics

In Great Expectations, Cunningham examines the hope and aspirations of the Obama generation.

Books & the Arts / Tope Folarin

Keith Haring in his studio in New York City.

Keith Haring and the Downtown Art Revolution Keith Haring and the Downtown Art Revolution

A new biography tells the story of not only Haring’s life but also the exhilarating world of New York art in the 1970s and 80s.

Books & the Arts / Sarah Schulman

Macklemore onstage with a delightful duck-print short-sleeve shirt.

Macklemore Dares Others to Stand Up for Palestine Macklemore Dares Others to Stand Up for Palestine

With “Hind’s Hall,” the rapper is telling artists and other culture workers, “The students are risking it all. Where are you?”

Dave Zirin

Nell Irvin Painter’s Chronicles of Freedom

Nell Irvin Painter’s Chronicles of Freedom Nell Irvin Painter’s Chronicles of Freedom

A new career-spanning book offers a portrait of Painter’s career as a historian, essayist, and most recently visual artist.

Books & the Arts / Elias Rodriques

Leslie Jamison and the Travails of Millennial Divorce

Leslie Jamison and the Travails of Millennial Divorce Leslie Jamison and the Travails of Millennial Divorce

In her new book, the novelist and essayist examines life before and after marriage.

Books & the Arts / Edna Bonhomme