Hunter College Hosts Nicaraguan Poets Claribel Alegr'a and Ernesto Cardenal October 17 For Americas Society's Writing Series
Date: October 15, 2002
Contact: Marisa Osorio (marisa.osorio@hunter.cuny.edu)
Phone: (212) 650-3736
Contact: Rosa Sanchez
The Americas Society
Phone: (212) 249-8950, Ext. 257
Claribel Alegr'a and Ernesto Cardenal inaugurate Quetzal Born from Ash: Central American Writing Today, a bilingual reading series celebrating the riches of contemporary Central American literature. This event, an extension to Hispanic Heritage Month, will be held at 6 p.m. on Thursday, October 17 at Hunter College's Kaye Playhouse on 68th Street between Lexington and Park Avenues.
Translator Jonathan Cohen will read English versions of the authors' works. Poet Carolyn Forche, the translator of Alegria's Flowers From The Volcano, will be honored at the program.
Alegr'a, born in Nicaragua and raised in El Salvador, was a major voice in Central America's liberation struggle. Considered one of Nicaragua's most important poets, she has published poetry, fiction, testimonial writing, and children's stories. Her books include Flowers From The Volcano, Woman of the River, Thresholds, The Death of Somoza and Tunnel to Canto Grande.
Cardenal is an internationally acclaimed Nicaraguan poet, priest, and revolutionary who has published more than 35 books in Spanish. He served as the minister of culture in the Sandinista government between 1979 and 1988, and is now the vice president of Casa de Los Tres Mundos. His works published in English include Golden UFOs, From Nicaragua With Love, Homage to the American Indians, With Walker in Nicaragua and the epic Cosmic Canticle.
Admission for the event is $15 for general public, $5 for students and senior citizens and free for The Americas Society's members.
Hunter College, founded in 1870, has long enjoyed a national reputation for excellence in liberal arts and sciences and professional education. Hunter's main campus, located on 68th Street on Manhattan's Upper East Side, consists of the School of Arts and Sciences and School of Education. The college also includes a school of Social Work on East 79th Street as well as the Schools of the Health Professions (Nursing and Health Sciences) located at the Brookdale Health Science Center on East 25th Street; an MFA building and art gallery on the West Side; and the Hunter College Campus Schools serving gifted and talented students, preschool through grade 12.