Mark Eisner's Blog
September 7, 2020
Celebrating the launch of RESISTENCIA! 9/13 via City Lights Books!
via Tin House Books:
"Sunday, September 13, we're delighted to launch this electrifying anthology of poems! Celebrate the arrival of RESISTENCIA: POEMS OF PROTEST AND REVOLUTION by joining us online for a celebration hosted by our friends at City Lights Bookstore!
Register here: https://redpoppy.net/events.html
"Sunday, September 13, we're delighted to launch this electrifying anthology of poems! Celebrate the arrival of RESISTENCIA: POEMS OF PROTEST AND REVOLUTION by joining us online for a celebration hosted by our friends at City Lights Bookstore!
Register here: https://redpoppy.net/events.html
July 23, 2020
RESISTENCIA in Ms. Magazine's Poetry for the Rest of Us: 2020 Roundup!
Though it's not coming out until September 1, upcoming anthology, Resistencia: Poems of Protest and Revolution was named to Ms. Magazine's favorite collections of 2020, part of a list of the best poetry "for the rest of us...
the list includes the "most exciting collections coming your way this year, all by and for the rest of us: poets who are women, womxn, Black, Indigenous, Latinx, AAPI, international, LGBIA+, TGNC, queer, disabled, fat, immigrant, Muslim, neurodivergent, sex-positive or of other historically marginalized identities."
We are so proud!
For more information about the collection, the poets and the translators, and to pre-order from great indie stores, please visit:
https://redpoppy.net/resistencia.html
From the jacket copy:
With a powerful and poignant introduction from Julia Alvarez, Resistencia: Poems of Protest and Revolution is an extraordinary collection, rooted in a strong tradition of protest poetry and voiced by icons of the movement from the beginning of the 20th Century and by some of the most exciting voices today. Formally dexterous and emotionally wide-ranging in their work, the poets of Resistencia bring feminist, queer, indigenous, urban, and ecological themes to the fore alongside historically prominent protests against imperialism, dictatorships, and economic inequality. Within this momentous collection, poets representing every Latin American country grapple with identity, place, and belonging, resisting easy definitions to render a nuanced and complex portrait of language in rebellion.
🌻
"A groundbreaking collection of works by over 50 poets, Resistencia is alive with bravery, feminism, strength, agency, protest, power and hope."
– Ms. Magazine
the list includes the "most exciting collections coming your way this year, all by and for the rest of us: poets who are women, womxn, Black, Indigenous, Latinx, AAPI, international, LGBIA+, TGNC, queer, disabled, fat, immigrant, Muslim, neurodivergent, sex-positive or of other historically marginalized identities."
We are so proud!
For more information about the collection, the poets and the translators, and to pre-order from great indie stores, please visit:
https://redpoppy.net/resistencia.html
From the jacket copy:
With a powerful and poignant introduction from Julia Alvarez, Resistencia: Poems of Protest and Revolution is an extraordinary collection, rooted in a strong tradition of protest poetry and voiced by icons of the movement from the beginning of the 20th Century and by some of the most exciting voices today. Formally dexterous and emotionally wide-ranging in their work, the poets of Resistencia bring feminist, queer, indigenous, urban, and ecological themes to the fore alongside historically prominent protests against imperialism, dictatorships, and economic inequality. Within this momentous collection, poets representing every Latin American country grapple with identity, place, and belonging, resisting easy definitions to render a nuanced and complex portrait of language in rebellion.
🌻
January 9, 2020
Featured interview in Latin American Literature Today
https://twitter.com/eizmarcos/status/...
Overdue post of Roberto Brodsky 's piece on me, my Chile travels, Neruda camino, focusing on focusing on Neruda: The Poet's Calling / Neruda: The Biography of a Poet / Neruda: el llamado del poeta in @LatAmLitToday.
Grateful for the engaging conversation and his views on all of it:
"a forceful narration of rediscovery and appreciation, of terror and intelligence, that invites us to a new reading"
https://twitter.com/eizmarcos/status/...
in English y español, including this discussion (translated from the Spanish):
RB: You have told me that the intention of the book is not to create scandal, that you are interested in offering an updated approximation to his poetry, to his political activism, and also to his personal story. Would the presentation of the episodes of sexual violence and taboos be placed within that intention?
ME: I just want to write the truth; to expose what is there. I didn't want to do anything else. Nothing is secret, and I wanted to highlight certain things. Forget about taboos. For me, though, the most important thing is to provide context around whatever the reader might discover and find surprising or challenging—to analyze it and tell the reader what was going on at that specific period of time and situation, in the world, in Neruda's life. Why Stalin, for instance: why choose Stalin? There is a lot of controversy to that, but there is a reason that can help you understand why Neruda is Stalinist, compared to George Orwell who was in Spain at the same time. There is a history for that; the Chilean Communist Party, the Spanish Civil War, and so forth. The context is formed by those three sources that I talk about: poetry, life, and politics, and each one informs the others to make an open book.
RB: How do you hope the reader will receive these revelations?
ME: Someone wrote a review of the book on Amazon, stating that she was amazed and moved by these revelations, but that in the end, she gained a fuller understanding of who Neruda was and gained a deeper interest in his poetry, plus more awareness of Latin American history and the influence poets had. Then: "Perhaps most importantly, by the end of the book I personally felt a renewed desire to make room for reading and writing more poetry in my own life." I couldn't ask for a better result, and the controversial parts are a part of it.
On the other hand, a reviewer for The Millions wrote that she had four books of poetry by Neruda, who, she thought, was "a man of substance, courage, and romance", as she wrote. But while she praised my biography, her idea of Neruda now, and I quote, "made my heart sink into my stomach". After reading it, she tossed those four books, she said, "in a recycling bag for those who might decide that these revelations are not deal breakers or, worse yet, don’t know this side of Neruda at all."
The entire article is here: http://www.latinamericanliteraturetod...
Overdue post of Roberto Brodsky 's piece on me, my Chile travels, Neruda camino, focusing on focusing on Neruda: The Poet's Calling / Neruda: The Biography of a Poet / Neruda: el llamado del poeta in @LatAmLitToday.
Grateful for the engaging conversation and his views on all of it:
"a forceful narration of rediscovery and appreciation, of terror and intelligence, that invites us to a new reading"
https://twitter.com/eizmarcos/status/...
in English y español, including this discussion (translated from the Spanish):
RB: You have told me that the intention of the book is not to create scandal, that you are interested in offering an updated approximation to his poetry, to his political activism, and also to his personal story. Would the presentation of the episodes of sexual violence and taboos be placed within that intention?
ME: I just want to write the truth; to expose what is there. I didn't want to do anything else. Nothing is secret, and I wanted to highlight certain things. Forget about taboos. For me, though, the most important thing is to provide context around whatever the reader might discover and find surprising or challenging—to analyze it and tell the reader what was going on at that specific period of time and situation, in the world, in Neruda's life. Why Stalin, for instance: why choose Stalin? There is a lot of controversy to that, but there is a reason that can help you understand why Neruda is Stalinist, compared to George Orwell who was in Spain at the same time. There is a history for that; the Chilean Communist Party, the Spanish Civil War, and so forth. The context is formed by those three sources that I talk about: poetry, life, and politics, and each one informs the others to make an open book.
RB: How do you hope the reader will receive these revelations?
ME: Someone wrote a review of the book on Amazon, stating that she was amazed and moved by these revelations, but that in the end, she gained a fuller understanding of who Neruda was and gained a deeper interest in his poetry, plus more awareness of Latin American history and the influence poets had. Then: "Perhaps most importantly, by the end of the book I personally felt a renewed desire to make room for reading and writing more poetry in my own life." I couldn't ask for a better result, and the controversial parts are a part of it.
On the other hand, a reviewer for The Millions wrote that she had four books of poetry by Neruda, who, she thought, was "a man of substance, courage, and romance", as she wrote. But while she praised my biography, her idea of Neruda now, and I quote, "made my heart sink into my stomach". After reading it, she tossed those four books, she said, "in a recycling bag for those who might decide that these revelations are not deal breakers or, worse yet, don’t know this side of Neruda at all."
The entire article is here: http://www.latinamericanliteraturetod...
May 17, 2019
What Neruda Owes Whitman - May 19th - Brooklyn Public Library
Near New York?
Once again at the wonderful Brooklyn Public Library, near where Walt Whitman stepped off that Brooklyn Ferry...
thrilled and honored to be a part of their Whitman bi-centennial celebrations, giving a 9 minute "lightening lecture" on Pablo's relationship to Walt, "These Whitman 200th Anniversary "lightning lectures" examine the vast scope of Whitman's legacy on poetry in the 20th century and beyond, and explore critically and swiftly where his vision and style came from." Besides myself there will be scholar Karen Karbiener on the moment Whitman became a poet, scholar Matt Miller on Whitman's creative process, Jesse Merandy on Whitman and an app of Whitman's Brooklyn, and musician Greg Trupiano on Whitman and opera, among others.
More info: https://www.bklynlibrary.org/calendar...
And in conjunction, we've released a (rough) classic clip of two great people poet's themselves talking about Neruda and Whitman, an interview of Lawrence Ferlinghetti and Jack Hirschman we taped for the Neruda documentary in 2010, in the poetry room of City Lights Bookstore (which Lawrence founded): https://vimeo.com/redpoppy/cl-litquake
That whole interview definitely helped inform some important parts of Neruda: The Biography of a Poet... some of the lines are quoted in its pages...
Once again at the wonderful Brooklyn Public Library, near where Walt Whitman stepped off that Brooklyn Ferry...
thrilled and honored to be a part of their Whitman bi-centennial celebrations, giving a 9 minute "lightening lecture" on Pablo's relationship to Walt, "These Whitman 200th Anniversary "lightning lectures" examine the vast scope of Whitman's legacy on poetry in the 20th century and beyond, and explore critically and swiftly where his vision and style came from." Besides myself there will be scholar Karen Karbiener on the moment Whitman became a poet, scholar Matt Miller on Whitman's creative process, Jesse Merandy on Whitman and an app of Whitman's Brooklyn, and musician Greg Trupiano on Whitman and opera, among others.
More info: https://www.bklynlibrary.org/calendar...
And in conjunction, we've released a (rough) classic clip of two great people poet's themselves talking about Neruda and Whitman, an interview of Lawrence Ferlinghetti and Jack Hirschman we taped for the Neruda documentary in 2010, in the poetry room of City Lights Bookstore (which Lawrence founded): https://vimeo.com/redpoppy/cl-litquake
That whole interview definitely helped inform some important parts of Neruda: The Biography of a Poet... some of the lines are quoted in its pages...
January 27, 2019
NERUDA has been named a FINALIST for the PEN Literary Award for Biography!
The vitality of this experience. Or simply, "Holy Shi*"! And above all because this is from PEN America, an organization doing such important work, especially right now. And to be part of this group, just amazement at life, having stopped questioning where to direct my gratitude, just give it everywhere.
https://pen.org/2019finalists/
https://pen.org/2019finalists/
August 24, 2018
desde México!
El escritor Mark Eisner habla con @LudensMauricio sobre el libro 'Neruda: el llamado del poeta' pic.twitter.com/zZtXjGC3EY
— El Financiero TV (@ElFinancieroTv) August 13, 2018
June 23, 2018
Interview on KPFA Radio, La Raza Chronicles!
Hope you'll kick back, listen to this 30min colorful conversation I had with poeta Nina Serrano on her Berkeley, California KPFA radio show, La Raza Chronicles.
Neruda: The Poet's Calling: "gripping" and "enlightening"
Includes a reading of a translation by Jessica Powell, talk about books from City Lights Publishing, the importance of events like the Bay Area Book Festival, and more!
Radio show can be listened to at https://kpfa.org/episode/la-raza-chro...
twitter post with more details:
https://twitter.com/eizmarcos/status/...
Neruda: The Poet's Calling: "gripping" and "enlightening"
Includes a reading of a translation by Jessica Powell, talk about books from City Lights Publishing, the importance of events like the Bay Area Book Festival, and more!
Radio show can be listened to at https://kpfa.org/episode/la-raza-chro...
twitter post with more details:
https://twitter.com/eizmarcos/status/...
May 7, 2018
More amazing reviews for Neruda: The Poet's Calling...
some of the latest:
"Neruda: The Poet's Calling unfolds as a masterful weave of biography, literary criticism, and cultural history, a scrupulous portrait of a genius as vast and contradictory as the continent he loved."
--The Barnes & Noble Review
"In his sweeping and exhaustively researched biography, Mark Eisner plumbs the man behind the legend, a task for which he’s well-suited."
--Christian Science Monitor
"A thrilling read."
--Nina Serrano, KPFA La Raza Chronicles
!!!!
Please get a copy yourself and hopefully experience the same wonder and expansion...
"Neruda: The Poet's Calling unfolds as a masterful weave of biography, literary criticism, and cultural history, a scrupulous portrait of a genius as vast and contradictory as the continent he loved."
--The Barnes & Noble Review
"In his sweeping and exhaustively researched biography, Mark Eisner plumbs the man behind the legend, a task for which he’s well-suited."
--Christian Science Monitor
"A thrilling read."
--Nina Serrano, KPFA La Raza Chronicles
!!!!
Please get a copy yourself and hopefully experience the same wonder and expansion...
September 8, 2017
LitQuake SF October 9th!
Thrilled to announce what promises to be a beautiful evening in San Francisco, as part of the amazing annual LitQuake festival, co-presented by City Lights Publishing
The Infinite Man: A Celebration of Pablo Neruda
It will serve as the launch for Venture of the Infinite Man. Published by City Lights, it's a project I spearheaded, asking my dear friend Jessica Powell to take on the terrifically challenging translation. I wrote the intro. (Check out the goodreads book link for more info.)
We'll share the stage with other friends--Bill O'Daly with Neruda's first book, Book of Twilights, which just came out as well, from Copper Canyon. Last year, Copper Canyon also published Then Come Back: The Lost Neruda Poems It's tan querido translator, Forrest Gander, who contributed some to The Essential Neruda: Selected Poems, will be on stage as well.
And it includes a hosted wine bar!
Please check out the link and please check out the event, as well as all of San Francisco's LitQuake! (the flowers in my hair will no longer stay in place...)
https://litquake2017.sched.com/event/...
The Infinite Man: A Celebration of Pablo Neruda
It will serve as the launch for Venture of the Infinite Man. Published by City Lights, it's a project I spearheaded, asking my dear friend Jessica Powell to take on the terrifically challenging translation. I wrote the intro. (Check out the goodreads book link for more info.)
We'll share the stage with other friends--Bill O'Daly with Neruda's first book, Book of Twilights, which just came out as well, from Copper Canyon. Last year, Copper Canyon also published Then Come Back: The Lost Neruda Poems It's tan querido translator, Forrest Gander, who contributed some to The Essential Neruda: Selected Poems, will be on stage as well.
And it includes a hosted wine bar!
Please check out the link and please check out the event, as well as all of San Francisco's LitQuake! (the flowers in my hair will no longer stay in place...)
https://litquake2017.sched.com/event/...
