Now in her 70s, Claribel AlegrA-a is universally recognized as the major living poet of El Salvador. "Casting Off "extends the themes AlegrA-a explored in "Sorrow": the loss of a loved one, solitude, and reflections on the past. As the title -implies, this collection is also a lyric farewell: "My footsteps are leading / toward quiet solitude / toward the star-silence / that has no more questions."She is becoming increasingly well-known in the U.S. as a result of her many tours, readings, and residencies. She will return to the U.S. in the spring to promote "Casting Off."The English versions in this bilingual edition are by renowned translator Margaret Sayers Peden, who beautifully preserves the lyric quality of this major poet at the height of her career."The Ache of AbsenceOh how my fingertips acheWhen I hold out my handAnd don't find you."Claribel AlegrA-a, the child of a Nicaraguan father and a Salvadoran mother, was born in EstelA-, Nicaragua, in 1924. Since she grew up in El Salvador, she considers herself Salvadoran and has received many national prizes from that country. Her works include 12 volumes of poetry, a number of novels and children's stories-many of which have been translated into English. "Sorrow "won the Independent Publisher Book Award for Poetry in 2000 and was a BookSense selection. Her work is featured in numerous anthologies, including Bill Moyers' "The Language of Life."