---

Robert Zend: Poet without Borders is American-Canadian poet and collage artist Camille Martin's illustrated exploration of Robert Zend's life and work. In 16 blogposts published on roguembryo.com between December 4, 2013 and March 31, 2014, Martin explores the biographical context for Zend’s work, his Hungarian literary roots, Canadian literary cross-pollination, international affinities, influences and alliances, and the multi-genre, multi-media and cosmic nature of his work. Though Martin never met Zend in person, Zend's fertile effervescence and boundary-defying creativity captured her imagination. The blog series is the outcome of months of research in the Zend archive collection and interviews with family members and collaborators.  The resulting appreciation of his life and work is unprecedented in its breadth and depth, and makes for an inspiring introduction to his œuvre. 

---

Click on any of the images below to read the corresponding blog post:

Introducing the series:

Zend's life: Hungary & Canada

Literary 
Roots & cross-pollination

International Affinities

Zend: Multi-media & Cosmic

Preface with Portraits

Part 1. Linelife: Premiere of a Rediscovered Treasure

Part 2. Dissolving Labels and Boundaries

Part 3. Hungary: Childhood and Early Adulthood

Part 4. Canada: "Freedom, Everybody's Homeland"

Part 5. Hungarian Literary Roots: The Budapest Joke and Other Influences

Part 6. Canadian Literary Cross-Polination: Marshall McLuhan (1911-1980)

Part 7. Canadian Literary Cross-Polination: bp nichol, the Four Horsemen, and Jiri Ladocha

Part 8. Canadian Literary Cross-Polination: The Three Roberts, Norman McLaren, Glenn Gould

Part 9. International Affinities: Argentina (Borges)

Part 10. International Affinities: France (Marcel Marceau)

Part 11. International Affinities: Italy (Leopardi and Pirandello)

Part 12. International Affinities: Belgium (Magritte) and Japan

Part 13. Gaskets, Thumbtacks, Toilet Paper Rolls . . . and Doodles

Afterword: Citizen of the Macrocosm

Announcing...The Robert Zend Website

Hear Camille Martin's tribute to Robert Zend:

At the April 1 2014 opening of TEXTual ARTivity, in Cobourg, Ontario