Book excerpt: Opulent, playful and sensual, Polina Barskova's poems have earned her a reputation as the finest Russian poet under the age of 40. While steeped in Russian and classical culture, Barskova's work remains unmistakably contemporary, at once classic and edgy - always fresh, new and startling. This is the first English translation of this remarkable poet, collecting poems from seven earlier books as well as from her recent work. Dralyuk and Stromberg's superb translation perfectly renders the strange and intoxicating beauty of Barskova's poetry.