Draft:Art Beck

'''bold'''Art Beck'''bold''' (born October 1940) is a US American poet, translator, and essayist. An author of entertaining and unexpectedly open lyric poetry, as well as translations from Latin of classical poets and from German, mainly of Rainer Maria Rilke, Beck is best known for books of poetry ''italics''The Discovery of Music''italics'' (1977) and ''italics''Summer with All Its Clothes Off''italics'', as well as translated works Luxorius: ''italics''Opera Omni Luxorius''italics'' (2012), and Rilke: ''italics''Etudes, a Rilke Recital''italics'' (2020). With a niche but devoted readership, Beck's work reaches new audiences each year, both locally in the San Francisco Bay Area and abroad.

Biography

Beck grew up in a materially comfortable middle class setting in Lincoln Park, Chicago in the 1940s and '50s. Both his parents were Polish American, and Beck's first language was in fact Polish, although English was spoken in the household throughout his upbringing. Family is a value of Beck's, and he was close with his extended family throughout childhood and adolescence. He is first cousin of Stuart Dybek. Educated in private Catholic school, Beck entered John Carroll University in University Heights, Ohio in 1958, from which he transferred to University of San Francisco in 1960.

Beck was particularly close with his father, and incidentally followed in his footsteps as banker. He worked in management at California Canadian Bank until its acquisition in 1985, after which he became a respected loans manager with Wells Fargo. Beck married in San Francisco in 1963, and raised three children in the Parkside district.

Work

In 1977, Beck published his first two works of poetry, the collections ''italics''Enlightenment: Notes for a Scurrilous Life''italics'', currently through Red Hill Press, and ''italics''The Discovery of Music''italics'' currently through Vagabond Press. Individual poems and small selections were published in various poetry journals over the years. He has published subsequent collections, the most recent of which is the retrospective ''italics''Angel Rain, Poems 1977-2020''italics'', through Shanti Arts Publishing. This volume is somewhat comprehensive and a good representation of Beck's creative literary work. In late 2005 Beck retired from banking for the most part. In his retirement he entered a notable second period of artistic productivity, which has lasted until present day. Beck has translated both Luxorius (poet), early 6th century, and Martial, 1st century, from the Latin. From German, Beck has translated selected works of Rilke. In addition to these scholarly endeavors, Beck has written extensively on the technical considerations of translation, outlined with respectful and experienced philosophical considerations. His most recent such work is a compendium of a selection of his articles on the subject, ''italics''A Treacherous Art: Translating Poetry''italics'' (2023, Shearsman Books).