Jan Kal

Jan Kal, 1988

Johannes Pieter "Jan" Kal (Dutch pronunciation: [jɑŋ ˈkɑl]; born 1946 in Haarlem) is a Dutch poet.[1] He lives in Amsterdam. Along with others, such as Gerrit Komrij, Jan Kuijper [nl], and Jean Pierre Rawie [nl], he helped revive the sonnet in Dutch poetry,[1] and substantially all of Kal's work is in sonnet form.[1] His earliest published work is dated 1966,[2]: 45  and his first volume of sonnets, Fietsen op de Mont Ventoux ("Cycling up Mont Ventoux") was published in 1974.[1] His range of styles and subjects is wide, including love poetry, religious poems, and occasional poetry (notably celebrating sportsmen Ard Schenk,[2]: 293  Joop Zoetemelk,[2]: 492–494  and Johan Cruijff).[2]: 1247  His poetry tends to humorous irony as well as, at times, melancholy.[1] To English-speaking readers who understand a little Dutch, perhaps his most accessible poems are his many sonnet versions of American popular songs, including those of Buddy Holly,[2]: 451–453  Bob Dylan,[2]: 471–479  and his favourite, Frank Sinatra.[2]: 657–806  [3]

In 2007, Kal appeared at the Crossing Border festival of literature and music in The Hague.

Volumes of sonnets

There are no translations of Kal's poetry in English yet.

• Fietsen op de Mont Ventoux, 1974 (Cycling up Mont Ventoux)
• Praktijk hervat, 1978 (Practice resumed)
• December, 1979
• Waarom ik geen Neerlandistiek studeer, 1980 (Why I don't do Dutch studies)
• Assepoester (1981) (The Cinderella story retold in 39 sonnets, illustrated by Irene Wolfferts)
• Chinese sonnetten (1984)
• Amsterdam, Halfweg 1987, 1989 ("Halfweg" – meaning literally half way – is a railway station midway between Amsterdam and Haarlem)
• Mijn manier – 144 Sinatra-sonnetten (1990) (My Way. Dutch translations of Sinatra songs in sonnet form)
• 100 doortimmerde sonnetten uit 25 jaren, 1966-1990, 1991 (100 well-crafted sonnets)
• Oprechte Haarlemse sonnetten en tekeningen, 1992 (True Haarlem sonnets and drawings. The title is an allusion to a former Haarlem newspaper, the Oprechte Haerlemsche Courant)
• Het schrijvershuis, 1995 (The House of Writers)
• 1000 sonnetten, 1966-1996, 1997
• Laat ons leven en minnen, 2000 (Let us live and make love. Love poems translated from the Latin of Catullus)
• Hun zeggen, 2007 (They say in working-class Amsterdam Dutch)
• Een dichter in mijn voorgeslacht, 2015 (A poet among my forefathers)

References

1. van Bork, G.J.; Verkruijsse, P.J. (1985). "De Nederlandse en Vlaamse auteurs: Kal, Jan". dbnl.org (in Dutch). Digitale Bibliotheek voor de Nederlandse Letteren (DBNL). Retrieved 22 August 2021.
2. Kal, Jan (1997). 1000 sonnetten, 1966-1996 (in Dutch). Nijgh & Van Ditmar. ISBN 90-388-4012-8.
3. van Grinsven, Johan (14 August 1991). "Opmaat: Frank Sinatra, een monument met sleet". johanvangrinsven.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 22 August 2021.

Sources

• Jan Kal at the Digital Library of Dutch Literature (in Dutch)

External links

• Several Jan Kal sonnets (in Dutch)
• Photos of Jan Kal
• Bibliographical information and a link to two of his sonnets (in Dutch)