Frostenson, Katarina

(1953-)

   A Swedish poet and dramatist, Frostenson writes poetry that avoids both any kind of story line and the use of metaphor. Instead, she juxtaposes the beautiful and the grotesque and emphasizes sound and rhythm. The critical consensus is that her poetry is very difficult. Frostenson knows Western literature well and has a degree in comparative literature, film, and drama. Frostenson had her debut with the poetry collection I mellan (1978; In Between), which refers to the significance of the gap between the two terms in a binary opposition. It was followed by Rena land (1980; Pure Lands), Den andra (1982; The Other), and I det gula (1985; In the Yellow). The male/female opposition is significant in the poetry collections Samtalet (1987; The Conversation) and Strandarna (1989; The Shores). Later poetry collections include Joner: Tre sviter (1991; Ions: Three Suites), Tankarna (1994; The Thoughts), and Korallen (1999; The Coral).

   In collaboration with her husband, Jean-Claude Arnault, a French photographer, Frostenson has published three books, (Överblivet (1989; Left Over), Vägen till oarna (1996; The Way to the Islands), and Endura (2002). They have also collaborated on other projects. Arnaud opened a gallery and multimedia stage in Stockholm in 1989, and Frostenson wrote her first play, the one-act Sebastopol (1989), for this stage. She more or less invented a type of compact monologue that she termed "monodrama" and later published a volume containing four of them, 4 monodramer (1990; Four Monodramas), with which she had a great deal of success. Later dramas include Traum (1996; Dream) and Sal P (1996; Ward P); the latter explores the methods used by Jean-Martin Charcot (1825-1893) in the treatment of women suffering from hysteria at his hospital in Paris. She also wrote the libretto for the opera Staden (The City), which opened in Stockholm in 1998. Two further plays are Kristallvagen (2000; The Crystal Road) and Safirgrand (2000; Sapphire Lane).

   See also Theater.