Legend of the Walled-up Wife

Ileana M'l'ncioiu is considered a hero and visionary in Romania, where she lived under the oppressive Ceausescu regime, learning to make oblique statements both her art and political instrument. Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin studied Romanian so she could movingly translate these poems and their powerful message. The use of legend, fable, and myth is richly important to both poets, resulting in a book of remarkable poetic compatibility.