>> EIGHT POET'S WORK IS TO
NAME THE UNNAMEABLE TO TAKE
SIDES START ARGUMENTS SHIP THE
WORLD AND STOP IT FROM GOING TO
SLEEP.
CHICAGO POET DANIEL BORZUTZKY
WRITING READS LIKE A
GEOPOLITICAL NIGHTMARE TO SEE
ACADEMIC JUSTICE BROUGHT TO HIS
STUDENTS.
AS PART OF OUR ONGOING LOOK
AMONG THOSE AWARDED A
FELLOWSHIP BY THE ILLINOIS ARTS
COUNCIL AGENCY HERE IS WRITER
DANIEL BORZUTZKY.
>> WHEN WE TALK ABOUT ECONOMIC
AND EQUALITY THAT BEING
SOMETHING THAT AFFECTS OUR
SCHOOLS INEVITABLY THAT LEADS
TO A CULTURAL INEQUALITY AS
WELL.
>> WRITER DANIEL BORZUTZKY IS
A PROFESSOR AT WRIGHT COLLEGE A
CITY COLLEGE ON CHICAGO'S
NORTHWEST SIDE.
>> IT IS AN INCREDIBLY DIVERSE
PLACE.
50 PERCENT OF OUR STUDENTS COME
FROM LATINO BACKGROUNDS THEY
ARE NOT EXPECTED TO GO TO
COLLEGE AND DO WELL.
>> EDWIN DESCRIBES HIMSELF AS
A LINGUAL LIST.
HIS POETIC BIRTH CAME THROUGH
THE CAFI.
HE DOES NOT SHY AWAY FROM HIS
HERITAGE AND CLAIMING IT AS
SOMETHING TO WRITE ABOUT BUT IN
NO WAY DOES HE LET IT FIND HIM.
>> POET EDWIN TORRES IS A NEW
YORK PUERTO RICAN POET.
TORRES HAS PERFORMED AROUND THE
COUNTRY BEEN FEATURED
EVERYWHERE FROM MTV AND
PROFILED IN NEWSWEEK.
>> MANDELA SPEAK SO TO SPLITS
THE TIME IN DUBAI COASTAL
>> I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR
US ESPECIALLY AS EDWIN WAS
PERFORMING IN SPANISH AND
ENGLISH NOT NORMAL THAT THEY
GET TO EXPERIENCE SOMEONE LIKE
EDWIN WHO IS REALLY VALIDATING
THEIR OWN EXPERIENCE AND THEIR
OWN LIVES AND THEIR OWN
HISTORY, ESPECIALLY WITH THINGS
CONCERNING LANGUAGE.
>> I DON'T KNOW IF I APPROACH
A BODY OF WORK IS NECESSARILY A
BOOK X IT'S MUCH EASIER FOR
PLACES AT NORTHWESTERN AND THE
UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO TO BE
ABLE TO ATTRACT AND BRING IN
AND PAY FOR THESE WONDERFUL
ARTISTS FROM AROUND THE WORLD.
>> THE ON THE CLASSROOM AND
ACCOMPLISH POET WITH A NUMBER
OF BOOKS IN PRINT.
HIS PARENTS ARE FROM CHILE.
HAVING LEFT THE DICTATORSHIP OF
GENERAL AUGUSTO PINOCHET CHILE.
>> ONE OF THE THINGS I AM
THINKING ABOUT IS THE
INTERCONNECTEDNESS BETWEEN MY
LIFE AND CHICAGO AND MY PERHAPS
IMAGINARY LIFE IN CHILE.
I THINK IT'S REASONABLE TO CALL
CHICAGO A LATIN AMERICAN CITY.
I THINK IN MANY WAYS IT'S
REASONABLE TO CALL A CHILEAN A
CHICAGO COUNTRY.
I'M THINKING ABOUT
DISAPPEARANCE IN BOTH PLACES.
ONCE I WROTE I FOUND MY OWN
REMAINS IN A DESERT BUT WAS
PARTIALLY IN CHILE AND
PARTIALLY IN ARIZONA.
WAS I HAD DISAPPEARED BODY
TOSSED OUT OF AN AIRPLANE BY A
DICTATORSHIP OR A MIGRANT BODY
WHO DIED OF DEHYDRATION?
THOUSANDS OF BODIES WOULD
DISAPPEAR.
MANY WERE DROPPED INTO THE
DESERT IN NORTHERN CHILE AND
RIGHT NOW IN THE WESTERN UNITED
STATES WE ARE KIND OF HAVING A
SIMILAR ISSUE WITH
DISAPPEARANCES.
THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF UNCLAIMED
MIGRANT BODIES OF PEOPLE TRYING
TO CROSS FROM CENTRAL AMERICA
INTO THE UNITED STATES.
>> ALSO A PUBLISHED TRANSLATOR
OF CONTEMPORARY LATIN AMERICAN
WRITING.
>> WRITING SUCCESSES DON'T
COME FROM THE WRITING ON THEIR
OWN.
NOT LOOKING FOR OPPORTUNITIES
TO PROMOTE OTHER WRITERS AND TO
PUBLISH OTHER WRITERS OR
TRANSLATE OTHER WRITERS.
KIND OF IN DIALOGUE WITH ALL
THESE PEOPLE WHO I RESPECT AND
CARE ABOUT.
JUST TO GET STRAIGHT INTO THE
DIFFICULT QUESTION
>> HIS WORK AS A TRANSLATOR A
POLITICALLY BRAVE POET HAS
GIVEN HIM THE CONFIDENCE TO
EXPLORE THE THEMES OF ANY
QUALITY AND VIOLENCE WHETHER
CHILE OR CHICAGO.
>> HOW YOU 10 TO REPRESENT
THINGS WHICH ARE WORKING AS A
PUBLIC EMPLOYEE IN CHICAGO
WATCHING THE VARIOUS WAYS THAT
CHICAGO IS DETERIORATING THAT
PUBLIC SERVICE IN PUBLIC
EDUCATION ARE DETERIORATING,
WATCHING OUR EXCESSIVE TURNS TO
PRIVATIZATION, ALL OF THOSE ARE
THINGS I AM WRITING ABOUT ALL
OF THE TIME I'M THINKING ABOUT
CHICAGO AS HIS PLACE WHERE
THERE IS GREAT VIOLENCE.
WHERE THERE IS MILES AND MILES
OF ABANDONED COMMUNITIES.
A PLACE OF POLITICAL VIOLENCE
AND INEQUALITY IS ONE WHICH I
AM INTERESTED IN WRITING ABOUT
AND IN WHICH MY ONLY
DOCUMENTING.>> DANIEL
BORZUTZKY MOST RECENT BOOK IS A
BOOK OF INTERFERING BODIES.
HE'S GIVING PUBLIC READINGS ON
THE 19TH AND 20TH OF THIS
MONTH.
FOR INFORMATION VISIT OUR
WEBSITE.