BEST AUTHOR BEST : ARTHUR SZE

The U.S. poet laureate treasures Neruda, '' Gilgamesh '' and '' 2000 Years of Mayan Literature. '' His new book, '' Transient Worlds,'' collects poems in 13 languages, setting different translations side by side.

.-  Describe your ideal reading experience.

After writing in the early morning, my ideal is reading at my desk with a thermos of black coffee, and the view outside my window of scattered chamisa, juniper and pinion trees.

.-  What's the last great book you read?

I just finished Simon Armitage's new verse translation of '' Gilgamesh.'' His rhythmic lines rework the ancient text and vitalize the narrative in a contemporary register.

.-  What book might people be surprised to find on your shelves?

I never read travel memoirs, and Brad Fox's '' Another Bone-Swapping Event '' might appear to be another one, but it's full of deep surprise.

.-  What's the best book you've ever received as a gift?

Decades ago Dennis Tedlock was part of the ethnopoetics movement, read Mayan glyphs and was trained in Mayan Divination. I still treasure my copy of '' 2000 Years of Mayan Literature.''

.-  How do you decide which poems to anthologize in '' Transient Worlds '' ?

I wanted to blur the boundaries between reading, writing, translating poetry and writing original poetry.

To do so I choose 23 poems from 13 languages, frequently selecting multiple translations of the same poem. Brainstorming with my editor, Michael Wiegers, was crucial.

I started with poems that I loved, from The Quinn's '' Drinking Wine '' to Pablo Neruda's '' Solo La Muerte '' to Sappho 31.

My method of selection was also informed by Indra's net, which asserts that everything that happens in the cosmos is like a piece of glass suspended in an immense chandelier.

When light shines into this space, each sliver of glass, each hanging jewel absorbs and reflects the light of every other.

[ The Publishing continues to Part 2 ]. The World Students Society thanks The New York Times.