Michael Schmidt

Reflections on a lost poem and its rediscovery by contemporary poetsGilgamesh is the most ancient long poem known to exist. It is also the newest classic in the canon of world literature. Lost for centuries to the sands of the Middle East but found again in the 1850s, it is a story of monsters, gods, and cataclysms, and of intimate friendship and love. Acclaimed literary historian Michael Schmidt provides a unique meditation on the rediscovery of Gilgamesh, showing how part of its special fascination is its captivating otherness. He reflects on the work of leading poets such as Charles Olson, Louis Zukofsky, and Yusef Komunyakaa, whose own encounters with the poem are revelatory, and he reads its many translations and editions to bring it vividly to life for today's readers.

Reflections on a lost poem and its rediscovery by contemporary poetsGilgamesh is the most ancient long poem known to exist. It is also the newest classic in the canon of world literature. Lost for centuries to the sands of the Middle East but found again in the 1850s, it tells the story of a great king, his heroism, and his eventual defeat. It is a story of monsters, gods, and cataclysms, and of intimate friendship and love. Acclaimed literary historian Michael Schmidt provides a unique meditation on the rediscovery of Gilgamesh and its profound influence on poets today.Schmidt describes how the poem is a work in progress even now, an undertaking that has drawn on the talents and obsessions of an unlikely cast of characters, from archaeologists and museum curators to tomb raiders and jihadis. Fragments of the poem, incised on clay tablets, were scattered across a huge expanse of desert when it was recovered in the nineteenth century. The poem had to be reassembled, its languages deciphered. The discovery of a pre-Noah flood story was front-page news on both sides of the Atlantic, and the poem's allure only continues to grow as additional cuneiform tablets come to light. Its translation, interpretation, and integration are ongoing.In this illuminating book, Schmidt discusses the special fascination Gilgamesh holds for contemporary poets, arguing that part of its appeal is its captivating otherness. He reflects on the work of leading poets such as Charles Olson, Louis Zukofsky, and Yusef Komunyakaa, whose own encounters with the poem are revelatory, and he reads its many translations and editions to bring it vividly to life for readers.

Einmal Punk, immer Punk Diese Lebenseinstellung bedeutet frei, laut und anders zu sein. Punk zelebriert Sex, Drogen, Anarchie, und Rebellion. Steht ein f r Freiheit und Gemeinschaftlichkeit ohne Diskriminierung, Ausgrenzung oder Rassismus. Doch wie w rde dieses Bed rfnis nach Individualit t und absoluter Selbstbestimmung auf anderen Welten aussehen? Wie ( ber)lebt ein Alien-Punk in einer totalit ren Welt, in welcher das Staatssystem sogar speichert, welches Klopapier gekauft und wann es benutzt wird? Wie funktioniert eine Welt, die sich Aliens und Menschen teilen? Sind Au erirdische gr eren Anfeindungen ausgesetzt als Immigranten, Andersdenkende oder Andersliebende? W rden diese Wesen eher bei den Punks Akzeptanz finden? Antworten liefert diese Anthologie, in der sowohl bekannte als auch unbekannte Namen des SF-Genres vertreten sind.

Selected chapters from the German concrete yearbook are now being published in the new English "Beton-Kalender Series" for the benefit of an international audience. Since it was founded in 1906, the Ernst & Sohn "Beton-Kalender" has been supporting developments in reinforced and prestressed concrete. The aim was to publish a yearbook to reflect progress in "ferro-concrete" structures until - as the book's first editor, Fritz von Emperger (1862-1942), expressed it - the "tempestuous development" in this form of construction came to an end. However, the "Beton-Kalender" quickly became the chosen work of reference for civil and structural engineers, and apart from the years 1945-1950 has been published annually ever since. Ultra high performance concrete (UHPC) is a milestone in concrete technology and application. It permits the construction of both more slender and more durable concrete structures with a prolonged service life and thus improved sustainability. This book is a comprehensive overview of UHPC - from the principles behind its production and its mechanical properties to design and detailing aspects. The focus is on the material behaviour of steel fibre-reinforced UHPC. Numerical modelling and detailing of the connections with reinforced concrete elements are featured as well. Numerous examples worldwide - bridges, columns, facades and roofs - are the basis for additional explanations about the benefits of UHPC and how it helps to realise several architectural requirements. The authors are extensively involved in the testing, design, construction and monitoring of UHPC structures. What they provide here is therefore a unique synopsis of the state of the art with a view to practical applications.