From the Poetry Center Archive: Ernesto Cardenal: The Massive Diversity of Life

92Y Poetry: 92Y Poetry: http://www.92y.org/shop/category.asp?...

On April 30, as part of its annual collaboration with the PEN World Voices Festival [hyperlink: pen.org/festival], the Poetry Center welcomed legendary Nicaraguan poet Ernesto Cardenal to 92Y for the first time. Participating in a program entitled Poetry: The Second Skin, which was curated and hosted by Laurie Anderson, Cardenal read an early poem ("Managua 6:30 P.M.") and a late poem ("Stardust"), both of which were also read in English by translator Jonathan Cohen. Cohen edited his Pluriverse: New and Selected Poems, where they appear.


Now eighty-six, Cardenal has written more than thirty books, and his latest collection, The Origin of Species and Other Poems, is devoted to Charles Darwin. "There is science fiction," he recently told the Daily News. "This could be called science poetry."

In coming weeks, we look forward to sharing more highlights from the 2010/11 Poetry Center season. The 2011/12 lineup will be announced over the summer.

Unterberg Poetry Center webcasts and access to our archive are made possible in part by the generous support of the Sidney E. Frank Foundation.

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[Edward Field]

This wasn't the first appearance of Cardenal at the 92 St. Y Poetry Center. he gave a reading in the 60s or 70s and half the audience walked out when he attacked the United Fruit Company and American imperialism.