Chris Coolsma

Chris Coolsma (b. 1946) loves language and is quite wordy. The subjects of the courses he taught at the University of Groningen – from 1983 to 2016 – were governance, policy and administrative law. All steeped in language and ground for political criticism. Although he still prefers to play piano in chamber music ensembles, poetry has become increasingly important to him since the turn of the century. These days hardly a day goes by without writing or translating a poem. Rather light than literary depth. Eager to be topical and mildly ironic. His great pleasure poets are Cees Buddingh’, drs P, Ivo de Wijs, Willem Wilmink and Annie M. G. Schmidt. Favorite poets he likes to use as inspiration are Paul van Ostaaijen, Vasalis, Thomas Tranströmer, Kafavis, Lieke Marsman, Billy Collins and Tony Hoagland. Of the latter two, he will soon have all the poems translated.

In poetry hothouse Meander , his hothouse plants grew larger. There, starting in 1999, he met other poets, including Edith de Gilde, Louis Esterhuizen, Marlise Joubert and Dirk van Babylon. Or was it Pasquino? Through sonneting with Pasquino, he became Marforio and invented the Liechtensteiner. And through tinkering with the form, the Moctin also came about. In the circle of poets founded by Myriam Gommers-Simonis in 2001, he contributed more than a hundred poems, mostly in freer forms. Birdwatcher friends and Buddingh’s gargle rhymes inspired the Vögels series. Illustrator and designer Corien Bögels helps him bring his Vögels to life.

At www.dirkvanbabylon.com, Chris publishes translations of his favorite poet, his own creations, his Vögels and also takes the guise of Marforio, to play a game of sonnet tennis with Pasquino .