***************************************** Srba Ignjatovic was born in 1946 in Serbia. Since 1971 he has published nine collections of poetry, five novels, sixteen books of literary theory and criticism, and a play. His poetry has been included many anthologies both inside and outside Serbia. He has won many international prizes, including the Nikita Stanesku Prize (1995), the Lucian Blaga Prize from the Romanian Academy (1997, 2005, and the Franz Kafka European Medal (2003). He lives in Belgrade where he is editor-in-chief of the Apostrof Publishing House and the literary magazine Savremenik. ******************************************** CACKLING IN THE NEW CENTURY Cavafy has awakened to a terrible scream. Neither Auschwitz nor the flight of astronauts has stilled poetry. Saved by the scream it goes on, for no reason. Like the goose on the Roman ramparts cackling, it heralds the new century. The barbarians go! The barbarians come! From up above, from down below, from outside, from inside crashing the rotted gates! ************************************** THE LIVING BOOK In my hands I held a book, wet and slippery like a tortoise that has ust clambered out of sedge and mud, heavy, spotted like a quail's egg. A living book struggling to get loose from my hands, gasping, stretching out into somewhere. A book you can skin, clean, bake and eat, given an appetite. A book that in dire need would even save your life. Now that is a real book. Others are just substitutes for it. ****************************************