Monday, November 15, 2010

In Memorium - Fernando Garavito 1944-2010

“El Espectador”

Les Caracteres
(Jean de la LaBruyer)

By

David Wilde

In Memorium


Wilde Publishing © (2011)
PO Box 4581
Albuquerque
NM 87196

“El Espectador: Les Caracteres”
(Jean de la LaBruyer)

I...
in spanish the poetry
wanted to sing because
fernando was conducting
the maestro who knew
a thing or two about
words long or short
loud or soft both high
and low but not at the same
time except when needed and
then sometimes not –

the not needed tended to be
or not what the maestro needed
but rarely was what he got from
his adversaries back home.
the dog without a bone of contention -

issues of state never hate –
to chew on or at –
by passing the hat or the plate along
no taking the blame
because the flame had been lit already –

the
fires of passion exposing
the news of corruption and graft of fraud
back home the tome by which Fernando
was denied directed deferred
run out of town

the
circus the clowns in charge leading the
fray a shambles a hoax of proportions so grand
to belittle the imagination.

the people tho shocked
only mocked
the state of affairs
the lack of control
the cheats at the polls
who took crime for
a spin
cartoon-like
Rin-tin-tin

II
…conducting the poem
the baton slipped strayed into
characters from the past
describing other matters
now lost to history

the mystery of the diplomat
the matter of the (pacifica) bank
to which there are no answers
expressed in gigantic headlines
ELESPECTADOR – the music the score

the three act opera bespeaking
the squeaky lion the mouse with a roar
“in spanish the poetry wanted to sing…”

to bring accountability to the more
than un-necessarily unfair voices
un-level wetness from a mere
drop of rain to the gushing
Iguazu Falls

a chorus from a blazing sky to the dazzling
scarlet floor of parted pouring waters –
bloody tears of yore (past) and accountability –

"in spanish the poetry wanted to sing"
to bring accountability to the vulnerable
to the masses to break the bloody silence
galloping sheep-like - tilted like a flying windmill -
sailing

more than to an unnecessarily unfair voice
un-level fields of wetness from a mere
drop of rain to the gushing Iguazu Falls (tilted)
from a blazing sky to the dazzling floor
of parted pouring waters

III
the poetry class in which I sat
with fernando –invited
the praxis of law and science (galore)
inspecting languages
to underscore justice
and to implore one to practice
the equality of door-to-door
humility –
writing poetry

in spanish the poetry wanted to sing
and to bring humanity to
her knees begging forgiveness
asking for mercy pleading her just cause

in spanish the poetry wanted to
sing angelic phrases as
fernando passed the baton along
on to better things to high applause
in my poetry class (spanish)
with the maestro –
invited

the poetry class in which I sat
with my good friend the teacher
the conductor the maestro -
invited

not right not wrong nor black and white
the maestro convinced me and taught me
to sing

in both english and spanish were married by a
cast- iron ring of certainty and truth
the poetry the score - richness the privileged
the power of the pen – the staining ink –
word-poor
to express my divided feelings

in spanish the poetry invited me to sing
like a knock on the door the uninvited guest
like a charlie chaplain-esque figure
sancho panza on tour a champion conductor
a boxer
a george Bernard shaw -
of literary jousts – of literature unbounded

in spanish the poet wants us to sing as we weep/
wept like she did
before
then let us bring to the table the hopes
that we fling aside
and begin to remember the blessing
of spanish which wants us to laugh cry
(or to sing)

to express our earthly joy in her worldly voice
for fernando the poet our conductor
in his heavenly loft
now this lofty choir-boy.
__

Saturday, November 13, 2010

Czech Republic travels (travesia)

some interesting journal (periodista) articles for the czech republic caught my attention this morning after a brief chat with M on the SKYPE webste.

http://kostnice.cz/
http://gask.cz/

http://dacicky.com/
http://hoteluhrncire.cz/
http://v-ruthardce.cz/

since now I am 3 times the legal limit as of yesterday 11/12/2010

Sunday, July 4, 2010

"We're all Americans now."

Dear David, Thanks for your interest in my talk and the book and advanced publicity!
I suppose we're all Americans now, of one sort or another - some with voting rights and some not! Travelling through Italy over the weekend the heightened security at all European airports indicates the US administration has laid down the law: increase your border security and surveillance or we will require you all to apply for visas! It is still an American world then although there are levels of Americanness - in the US and outside. best wishes, Jonathan

Black Innocence
is perhaps a 'rage' at America and asks the rather obvious question: "what does it take to be/become an American?" Its a question I understand to be as normal for an American citizen as for an immigrant, to ask speculatively. What do you think? Nick Cull who used to be the chair of American Studies at Leicester, and I used to discuss the Black Atlantic, et al, so perhaps this may fit into some new 'spectacle' of incoherency at some stage of the dialogue. I enjoyed your talk immensely and was intrigued to learn that Guy de bord is still alive and well in Liverpool. David Wilde

On Mon, 11 Feb 2008 13:09:40 -0000 "Harris, Jonathan" wrote: thanks, David- and thank you for the book I got from you. I'll read it and get back to you! best wishes Jonathan Harris @ Liverpool

Sunday, April 11, 2010

One Day in April : An Irish Lullaby (Amazon Reviews)

One Day in April : An Irish Lullaby (Amazon Reviews)

Possibly a classic?
by Geoffrey Barrett (Amazon user published 2004-06-25 )

This book is definitely not an easy read, but it is short. Indeed, I cannot say that I have quite finished it myself. Yet, it certainly receives five stars for its originality. It is one of a kind. While entitled "One Day in April," it actually spans an undeterminable (or maybe I just haven't determined...)

This book is definitely not an easy read, but it is short. Indeed, I cannot say that I have quite finished it myself. Yet, it certainly receives five stars for its originality. It is one of a kind. While entitled "One Day in April," it actually spans an undeterminable (or maybe I just haven't determined it) period of time. The book is littered with the self-reflections of the omnipotent narrator (the author? a supreme higher being? who knows?). Here is an example:
"Meanwhile, in an interlude, in the hinterland of Albuquerque, at a local Cafe, the consumate question of purpose, came to bear on why a novel should ever be written, or why he, the novelist should write at all, especially here."

is this joyce? many would argue no. But, like much of joyce's work, this one begs for explanation.

The quote in the dedication really sums up the experience one feels while reading this book:

"A word is not like a butterfly you can stick with a pin on a board."

It is written by David Wilde, the author of the eclectic biography, "the Life and Times of EC Zeke Cortez."

For those with a taste for something different and willing to take a chance.

Saturday, April 10, 2010

AMAZON AUTHOR'S WEBPAGE

Decided to add some Amazon/Bartnes and Noble websites so that folk interested in reading my 'stuff'/work can access them thru this convenient and simple online and available method of surfing the internet. Why not, indeed?

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

"THE OLD GRINGO" LIMON INTERVIEW SPRING 2010

"NOTES FROM THE EDITOR OF LIMON MAGAZINE 2010"

"To kick-off the first issue of 2010 I‟ve assembled an interesting mix of articles that focus on differ-ent levels of our community. Some articles focus on people around the Latin American & Iberian Institute, others on people doing work in Albuquerque, and still others who are doing work in Central America. I hope you will take note of the LAII activities highlighted on the next page, as the institute is bringing speakers to respond to Vicente Fox‟s visit last semester. They should be informative, interesting, and hopefully controversial. I look forward to these speakers stirring up their fair share of debate around the institute and perhaps on campus. Two people connected to the LAII have generously donated their time in agreeing to be interviewed this month, and so I would like to personally thank both Lisa Burns and David Wilde for their involvement. With fewer conferences hosted by the institute in these first months, I look forward to the events scheduled for later in the semester and hope that we can do our part to bring them to you in some sense through LIMON. To all of you taking your comps, good luck and don‟t study too hard! Keep your eye out for our next SOLAS meeting and happy hour (it‟ll be announced on the listserv.) As always, with any events or ideas for articles don‟t hesitate to contact me. Enjoy the snow while it lasts,

Alex Acerra"

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Booksignings in April 2010

MONDAY April 5th I will be signing the Golden Mushrooms anthology book with my entry on page 83 called Returning Home. Written in 1993 about New Mexico after being on vacation in Europe. The Anthology is produced by the Austrian Society of Literature in Vienna. This event will take place in Ortega Hall, 3rd floor.

#2 booksigning will be on Wednesday 7th April for the Poetry Month at University New Mexico Bookstore. New Spanish poetry will be introduced with special guests from Spanish and Portuguese Department at University New Mexico and music.

Both events at 12:00 noon

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Vienna: Austrian Society for Literature

Dear David, we will have a reading from our book that has finally arrived. You will be mentioned as will all the other participants.

The reading will take place on Jan. 20, 2010, 7 p.m. at the Austrian Society for Literature, Herrengasse 5, in A- 1010 Vienna. Please let the two doctors know.

Kind regards and Happy New Year, Peter

Sunday, December 27, 2009

New Blog: Dec 2009

Well... I will always recall delightedly that my da's family in Wales would typically start a sentence with these well-worn and polished sounds: "well..." A bit like another friend who recently passed away into the next world going and answering by the English sounding name of Larry Miller. An archivist and part-time blacksmith at the Rancho de las Golandrinas living history museum up near to the racecourse near Santa Fe called The Downs! Both had the facility to astonish with these opening words. I am fast come from the Flying Star restaurant (at the end of the universe) on Route 66/Cental Avenue having consumed heartily a breakfast bought by the young Shean White a friend from church whose wife is a 'dula'. A trade off for a CD I gave to him earlier at the Aquinas Newman Craft Fair in November when the parent and adults group were also having a meeting of some religious formation character about them. Todays event was a meeting with Angie King, prospective daughter to Tanya, and registered professional nutritionist who was telling me about the 30 'dirty' and 15 'clean' words in the vocabulary of healing. Mainly because of the polluting of the world's oceans and waters by unscrupulous big businesses. Also Angie has decided against using make-up also a hazardous waste producer and pollutant chemically and medium in the world's atmosphere. Also I record the passing of Zeke Cortez whose life biography I have been recording now for almist 13 years not quite non-stop but close and that too happened in August as well.

I have to pause in thinking about these two people in my life who have affected the way I look at time spent here in the southwest usa and historical interest which grew out of these friendships in New Mexico. Comparing my own life makes little sense in this light except to continue to write and prepare for grace or ignomy...

New Year is approaching fast and soon will be past and also a 'history'.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Turning 65

How do you know Shelly Smith? Is the question to the answer about friends in and around the Duke city of course circa 2009 which is creeping creepily forward to the great debacle of 2012 of which we are all one and (the rest) waiting for with and without a baited breath! It means what are we waiting for? Well the great question is looming but having a great and wonderful evening out with pscychiatrist friend and translator Florian made a good night. Naturally at Il Vicino the in-crowd 'joint' on Route 66 and being put to the pscychometry of a questionaire as well as meeting up with Wilmer (aka Bill) the surgeon and cricket/rugby fiend with Jack the brother and arch-actor, dramatist and benevolent poet at large being present. Turning 65 is like turning 75 or 15 quite honestly not a lot of difference, mentally that is, between the different slots along the allotted path of fate, fortune, and whatever else is in the can of worms about to explode in our errant faces. Notice we didn't use the word (I forget which word) but it was used by a brazilian recently at a lecture and she had an amazingly British accent. The reason I can't rememeber the word that is. Keep watching and reading for some amazing translations into the Czech language coming up next...