When we began to hear from his own lips that the candidate Abelardo threatened, not only to bomb the guerrilla groups in their jungle lairs (regardless of whether they had children on vacation), to reactivate the spraying of paraquat on illicit crops and growers, to disappear the Ministry of Cultures, Arts and Knowledge, but also to gut the opposition – which would include the followers and advocates of peace -, we felt that he was The world was upon us. President Abelardo’s speech was more measured than that of candidate De la Espriella, so we began to rest in peace. Whatever happens, we hope that what should not happen does not happen.
But instead of talking about nervous things, I prefer to share positive news for our culture, referring to characters and works of members of the Nadaísta movement, 68 years after its insurrectionary emergence.
The Nadaist poet Armando Romero, resident in Cincinnatti, has just been awarded in Salamanca (Spain), at the XXIX Meeting of Ibero-American Poets, the Fray Luis de León Prize, which includes both poets from Latin America and the Iberian Peninsula. The award will be presented to him in October in the town of Fray Luis y Unamuno. In September, in Madrid, Romero will present two of his books at the Center of Modern Art: the Spanish edition of his novel A Day Among the Crosses, and an expanded and modified version of his Anthology of Nadaism, books published by Editorial del Centro, Madrid. He will then present in Italy his book of short stories False equilibrium, translated into Italian by the writer Marco Benacci, and published by the Fili D’Aquilone publishing house, directed by the poet Alessio Brandol. This book has illustrations by the Brazilian poet and artist Floriano Martins. His novel La ruota di Chicago, translated by Claudio Cinti, was also recently published in Rome in Italian. And in our country and neighbors, The belly of all wars, published by Sílaba, is circulating. So that Colombia can see what Nadaísta author represents it with luxury abroad.
The National Library of Colombia, determined not to let the half-century since the death of the prophet Gonzalo Arango go unnoticed, who 66 years ago read the first manifesto of Nadaism in its stands, will continue with events in his tribute. By the way, this same year marks the centenary of the poet and novelist Elmo Valencia, the Mad Monk, whose legendary book Islanada is ready by the Escarabajo publishing house, but his ex-wife does not allow its circulation until he is given millions.
Also close to one hundred years old, Dukardo Hinestrosa, a resident of Los Angeles, has the courage to publish, in Trump’s beard, Scheme of an imperfect society, a political and historical essay on North America.
From the girl genius of Nadaism María de las Estrellas, in the stars since 1981, the book The 32 Lords and the Purple Princess is circulating, published by Michael Benítez in Ruido Editores, in a beautiful edition illustrated by Édouard Monneau, which will soon be released in Paris, translated by Boris Moneau, as he has been doing with all his work.
In Envigado, Antioquia, the Cronopio Group, composed of Juan Manuel Zuluaga, Juan Andrés Alzate, Gloria Nivia Ramírez and Emilio Restrepo, who with the willing contribution of the Editorial Fund of the University Institution of Envigado, the ITM Editorial and FER, published the book The rebellion of nothing. Stories of Nadaism in Colombia, launched in Filbo, prepare the edition of a sequence of chronicles of Nadaism throughout its history, written by the undersigned under the title Geniales, locos y dangerouses. The Nadaists of Colombia, under the initiative of Ladis Frías. Book also soon to be published in Mexico, coordinated by José Ángel Leyva.
Patricia Ariza, who with the late maestro Santiago García founded the Teatro La Candelaria, is celebrating 60 years of performing activities in defense of human dignity, with the play Desconcert. Hail, life. Hail, Patricia. Mission accomplished.
JOTAMARIO ARBELAEZ
