CENTENARY OF NERUDA: World-wide Programs Celebrate 100
Years of Pablo Neruda & Reading of “Heights of Macchu
Picchu” on Mountains in South America and Mt. Everest.
CONTACT: Ram Devineni, Program Coordinator at
1-212-723-4125 or [log in to unmask] /
Rodrigo Rojas, (Santiago, Chile) 56-2-676-2590 or
[log in to unmask]
The writer Gabriel García Márquez wrote, Pablo Neruda
was “the greatest poet of the twentieth century — in
any language.” Dialogue Through Poetry, Rattapallax,
and Fundacion Pablo Neruda are helping to promote
literary programs around the world to celebrate
Neruda’s accomplishments and his role as a global
citizen. Some notable events are occurring at the
John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in
Washington, D.C.; The Americas Society in New York
City; Jardim das Artes in São Paulo, Brazil; Auditorio
de Comfenalco in Cali, Colombia; and UNESCO
headquarters in Paris.
Working with poets and professional mountain climbers,
there will be readings of Neruda’s classic poem
“Heights of Macchu Picchu” on Mt. Aconcagua
(Argentina); Illimani (Bolivia); Chimborazo (Ecuador);
Mt. Everest (Nepal); the Andes in Chile; and Macchu
Picchu (Peru). Photos and/or video will be provided as
reference for each reading. The program called Neruda
on the Peaks is a continuation of the successful
Poetry on the Peaks program started in 2002 to
celebrate the United Nations’ Year of the Mountain
(IYM). The professional climbing partner is Alpine
Ascents International. The mountain readings will
coincide with the annual Dialogue Through Poetry Week
and UNESCO’s World Poetry Day happening the week of
21, March 2004.
In addition, Pulitzer Prize winner Yusef Komunyakaa
(Neon Vernacular: New & Selected Poems) and American
Book Award winner Martín Espada (Imagine the Angels of
Bread) will travel to Santiago to participate in
Chile’s celebration of their national poet on July 12,
2004. The event hosted by Rattapallax will be featured
at Universidad Diego Portales.
Martín Espada, called by Sandra Cisneros, the Pablo
Neruda of North American authors, says: “This
represents the fulfillment of a dream: to visit
Neruda’s Chile and to pay homage to the poet who has
most deeply influenced me, as a writer and person.”
A new documentary, Neruda! Presente! will also be
released this year along with several important
anthologies and new translations such as The Poetry of
Pablo Neruda edited by Ilan Stavans (Farrar Straus &
Giroux) and The Essential Neruda edited by Mark Eisner
(City Lights). Rattapallax magazine will present a
special issue on poets and musicians influenced by
Neruda featuring work from Edward Hirsch, Marjorie
Agosin, Martín Espada, musicians Luciana Souza and
Marciano, and many others.
Lastly, to honor Pablo Neruda, a petition has been
submitted to the International Astronomical Union
(IAU) to name a crater on Mercury after the beloved
Chilean poet.
For more information about the programs, please visit
http://www.dialoguepoetry.org or information about
World Poetry Day and Neruda, please visit
http://www.unesco.org/bsp/neruda/
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