Ales Debeljak

About

Prolific Slovenian poet, essayist, newspaper columnist, and cultural critic. His well-known works include Twilight of the Idols, Persistence of Modernity, and The Hidden Handshake.

Before Fame

He studied at The University of Ljubljana, Syracuse University, and the University of California-Berkeley. In the early stages of his poetic career, Debeljak won the attention of poet Veno Taufer.

Trivia

His poetry is notable for its melancholic tone and its reverence for Enlightenment ideals and morality.

Family Life

He married Erica Johnson, an American-Slovenian writer and translator. While living in Ljubljana, the couple became parents to three children.

Associated With

His literary contemporary, German author Herta Muller, won the 2009 Nobel Prize in Literature.