Episode 94: Catullus & Shibari, with Isobel Williams

We talked to Isobel Williams about her fascinating and illuminating new translation of selected poems of Catullus, illustrated with her drawings of the Japanese art of rope binding, shibari. Our discussion ranges over the connections between the world of shibari and the emotional struggles depicted in Catullus’s poetry, the way translation and learning Latin can feel like being tied up in, and untangling, knots, and much more.Content Note: fetish, sex, brief mention of sexual violence, discussion of enslavement and use of slavery as metaphorBlog about drawing shibari (Japanese rope bondage): Boulevardisme Straight blog about drawing: Drawing from an uncomfortable position Website: Isobel Williams Twitter: @otium_CatulleInstagram: @isobelwilliams2525From Isobel: “For the online book launch, I compiled a video (>20 minutes) of self and others reading in Latin and English from the book. It starts with Sappho in ancient Greek and ends with Shakespeare, to show the continuity Sappho -> Catullus -> Ovid -> Shakespeare (it contains no Ovid). The video is here 'Catullus: Shibari Carmina' - readings and performances - YouTube”Page about the bookLink to the book for Canada and US: Catullus: Shibari Carmina | Independent Publishers GroupJames Methven’s Precious Asses – highly recommendedIrish poet and mediaevalist Bernard O’Donoghue – Poet, Academic, Medievalist and Literary CriticTranscript of this episodeThis episode on YouTubeOur Patreon pageRedbubble storeThis podcast is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International LicenseThe Endless Knot RSS