Full Description
Victor Rodriguez Núñez is one of today's most outstanding Cuban writers, although he has lived and worked elsewhere for nearly two decades, first in Nicaragua and Colombia and, since 1995, in the USA. The present collection, based on his selected poems With a Strange Scent of World: First Anthology, 1978-1998 (Havana, 2004), offers a representative sample, as well as a rewriting, of his early poetic work, full of vivid images from the poet's youth and of both rural and urban Cuba.
In an interview, Núñez described his search for "a poetry that is... participatory yet not political... communicative yet not explicit... dialogic yet not conversational, Cuban yet not essentially nationalist..." and in her introduction to this volume, Katherine Hedeen provides us with background detail that helps to set the poet's work in context. In Katherine Hedeen's skilful translation, we discover poems that are at once committed and experimental, where every limit is challenged, and where emotion and lucidity come together.
Víctor Rodríguez Núñez has published eleven books of poetry, many of them recipients of literary awards, including the coveted David Prize (Cuba, 1980) and, most recently, the Leonor Poetry Prize (Spain 2006). His poems have appeared in literary journals throughout the world. He is an Associate Professor of Spanish at Kenyon College, Ohio. USA
Contents
Introduction by Katherine M Hedeen. From 'Con raro olor a mundo' / 'With a Strange Scent of World': Prologo / Prologue, Donde? / Where, Distancias / Distances, Trenes / Trains, Un poema con tigre / A Poem with Tiger, Logica / Logic, Metafisica / Metaphysics, Hipotesis / Hypothesis, Con raro olor a mundo / With a Strange Scent of World, Epilogo / Epilogue. From 'Noticiario del solo' / 'Lonely Man's News': Antipoema / Anti-poems, Noches / Nights, Leyenda / Legend, Autorretratos / Self-Portraits, Complejo de culpa / Guilt Complex, Manifiesto / Manifesto, A pesar de la luz / Regardless of the Light, Lamento por Mrs. Mones / Lament for Mrs. Mones, Noticiario del solo / Lonely Man's News. From 'Los poemas de nadie' / 'Nobody's Poems': 'Arte poetica? / The Art of Poetry?, A la memoria dez / To the Memory of, Instantanea / Snapshot, Cayama Revisited / Cayama Revisited, Soneto negro / Black Sonnet, Villancico / Christmas Carol, Ingenieria naval / Naval Engineering, Happy Birthday / Happy Birthday, Contrasena / Watchword, Jam Session / Jam Session, Poema con gorriones / Poem with Sparrows, Suite de Selva Negra / Black Forest Suite, Drama de Marco Polo / Marco Polo's Dilemma, Poema por Emily / Poem for Emily, A ver si me explicoa / Let's See if I Can Explain Myself. From 'El ultimo a la feria' / 'The Last to the Fair': Hospitales / Hospitals, Nubes / Clouds, Cantina en Cochabamba / Cantina en Cochabamba, Una y otra vez / Once and Again, El Capitan / The Captain, Nocturno de Tripoli / Tripoli Nocturne, Nocturno de Madrid / Madrid Nocturne, A veces / At Times, Mitomania / Mythomania, Son nica 1 / Son Nica 1, Son nica 2 / Son Nica 2, Desayuno con angeles / Breakfast with Angels, Hablando solo / Speaking Alone. From 'Oracion inconclusa' / 'Ceaceless Prayer': Entrada / Entrance, Abismos / Abysses, Bogotano / Bogotano, Paraguas / Umbrellas, Frente frio / Cold Front, Consignas / Slogans, Conjuros / Incantations, An Oregonian Poem / An Oregonian Poem, Conjeturas sobre la sonrisa del Pastor / Conjectures on a Pastor's Smile, Confirmaciones / Confirmations, Tarot / Tarot, A Brave Summer with Kate / A Brave Summer with Kate, La sombra de Guiraldes / Shadow of Guiraldes, Secreto profesional / Trade Secret, Elogio del neutrino / Eulogy for the Neutrino. Biographical notes.
