Writer Vladimir Levchev teaches creative writing and brings prominent writers to AUBGHis name appears in approximately 880 files in Google and 360 in Yahoo search engines.
He has taught in various universities in the U.S., as adjunct professor in world literature, creative writing, English, and poetry. He has also been a full-time Bulgarian and Macedonian language instructor at the Foreign Service Institute at the Department of State in the U.S. He is also the author of The Rainbow Manson, Heavenly Balkans, Black Book of Endangered Species, and Leaves from the Dry Tree. His poems have been translated in English, Bulgarian, Russian, German, French, Greek, Turkish, Polish, Hungarian, and Indian Punjabi. He is Vladimir Levchev.
As of Fall 2007 Levchev is a full-time professor at AUBG. He teaches Creative Writing, ENG 101 Exposition, and a class on Balkan literature. He is very happy to be here:
“I think AUBG is a university on a very high level and the students are very bright and intelligent. That is the most exciting part of the job,” Levchev shared.
The teaching part is the same as the system he knows in the U.S. Mainly, he is happy dealing with his classes. Currently, he does not have time to write (and he misses writing very much) but Levchev is content with organizing the curriculum. He believes he will have more time to devote to writing later. So far, outside his academic obligations, Levchev prepares selected poems, which will be printed next month celebrating his 50th anniversary.
Levchev has initiated series of lectures on poetry. They are taking place once a month. Prominent Bulgarian and foreign poets and writers are invited as guests such as the poet Ani Ilkov and belletrist Alek Popov, the author of the controversial Mission: London. The majority is Bulgarian poets and writers mainly from previous generations. “Not too old and not too young,” Levchev jokes. All reading will be done in English as well.
The lecture series are with a purpose for Bulgarian and foreign students to meet face to face with established poets and writers. “We can talk about different aspects of what we hear as poetry and its translation. This is practical work of literature,” Levchev explains.
He was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship and left Bulgaria 13 years ago to pursue a master’s degree in creative writing with emphasis on poetry and fiction. But don’t worry, you are in good hands. Levchev’s professional experience is not limited to teaching only. He was also the founder, publisher, and editor of Glas Magazine, created in 1989, which is not published anymore, but caused quite a controversy in the realm of its fame.
Glas (or Voice) was banned by the Communist party and was published secretly. Contributors to the magazine were well known writers, such as Blaga Dimitrova, Tzvetan Todorov, and Angel Popov.
After the collapse of the communist government however, Glas concentrated more on literature rather than politics. It was also published online. Black Book of the Endangered Species was written in Bulgarian. It was translated in English by Levchev and Henry Taylor, who has won a Pulitzer Prize in Poetry in 1986. Levchev explains that it’s bad to literally translate poetry.
“Poetry uses many subtle themes. It’s important to be translated of person who speaks the language and the language of poetry.” The Rainbow Manson Most is poems written in English; some are in Bulgarian and Levchev has translated them in English. The newest book, The Refugee, will be printed in a few years and in it there are new poems in English that have not even been published before.
Levchev recently published a new book Who dreams my life. He said he has not wakened up yet to know who. The book consists of selected poems written in the period of 30 years that have already been published. “Who dreams my life” is celebrating Levchev’s 50th anniversary. The title is from another book Levchev has in written in early 1980’s.
The poem “Who dreams my life” is dedicated to the admired Bulgarian poet Georgi Rupchev. The presentation of the book was in at the National Palace of Culture in Sofia on Nov. 2, 2007. Everything impresses him. And everything inspires him. He says that people should be able to get impressed. “When someone’s lost that ability, that means he’s old,” Levchev says. “And then he can’t write,” he smiles.
