I just returned from Simpoesia, an international poetry conference, in Sao Paulo, Brazil put together by Virna Teixeria. Before I made it to the conference, I spent a few days in Rio--the marvelous city.
The conference was well-attended and interesting, and Sao Paulo was wonderful. That surprised me. Most people prepared me for Sao Paulo by saying it is a massive concrete city. In fact, it has some nice parks and great cultural places, such as the Afro-Brasil Musuem, the Musuem of Art Sao Paulo, the Pinocateca, and the Musuem of the Portguese Language. I probably would have made the mistake of missing the Musuem of the Portuguese Language had I not had dinner with the poet Frederico Barbosa. He suggested it, and I'm glad he did. The musuem is half about the history of Portguese in Brazil and half about poetry. In fact, after watching a film, the audience is welcomed into a room of poetry--that's the best way I know to describe it. It's bascially an installation exhibit with poetry on the floor, poetry speeding by projected on the walls and ceiling, and poetry being read. Incredible! I'd love to be able to put together such a project here in the U.S.
It was also wonderful to get to know the translators Steven Butterman and Stefan Tobler along with the many wonderful poets from Brazil, Europe, and Latin America, such as Flávia Rocha and Rodrigo Garcia Lopes. I was able to talk in person again with Sérgio Medeiros and Maria Esther Maciel and to hang out with Tracy Grinell and Julian Brodanski. Julian gave me his chapbook, and after reading it, I encourage the rest of you to get a copy of it.
Overall, visiting Brazil made me want to bridge the gaps between Anglo American and Latin American writing. The work that the Brazilians are doing now is incredible, and to be honest, it feels like they are a few steps ahead of us. I don't mean that in a negative way towards U.S. poetry; really I just felt like I was looking at the future of U.S. poetry by being there. It probably helps that Brazilians seem poetry friendly--or at least that's what they seem like to me.
The conference was well-attended and interesting, and Sao Paulo was wonderful. That surprised me. Most people prepared me for Sao Paulo by saying it is a massive concrete city. In fact, it has some nice parks and great cultural places, such as the Afro-Brasil Musuem, the Musuem of Art Sao Paulo, the Pinocateca, and the Musuem of the Portguese Language. I probably would have made the mistake of missing the Musuem of the Portuguese Language had I not had dinner with the poet Frederico Barbosa. He suggested it, and I'm glad he did. The musuem is half about the history of Portguese in Brazil and half about poetry. In fact, after watching a film, the audience is welcomed into a room of poetry--that's the best way I know to describe it. It's bascially an installation exhibit with poetry on the floor, poetry speeding by projected on the walls and ceiling, and poetry being read. Incredible! I'd love to be able to put together such a project here in the U.S.
It was also wonderful to get to know the translators Steven Butterman and Stefan Tobler along with the many wonderful poets from Brazil, Europe, and Latin America, such as Flávia Rocha and Rodrigo Garcia Lopes. I was able to talk in person again with Sérgio Medeiros and Maria Esther Maciel and to hang out with Tracy Grinell and Julian Brodanski. Julian gave me his chapbook, and after reading it, I encourage the rest of you to get a copy of it.
Overall, visiting Brazil made me want to bridge the gaps between Anglo American and Latin American writing. The work that the Brazilians are doing now is incredible, and to be honest, it feels like they are a few steps ahead of us. I don't mean that in a negative way towards U.S. poetry; really I just felt like I was looking at the future of U.S. poetry by being there. It probably helps that Brazilians seem poetry friendly--or at least that's what they seem like to me.
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