Poet Spans Two Worlds, but Has a Home in Neither
By David Gonzalez for The New York Times
His poems, in countless anthologies and five of his own collections, are considered part of the Latino literary canon. His plays and lectures have earned him honors etched in flowery superlatives on plaques. But Tato Laviera would rather possess a more prosaic document, written in legalese.
A lease.
Mr. Laviera has known his share of troubles in recent years, including diabetes, blindness and dialysis. But in December, life became infinitely more complicated when he underwent emergency brain surgery. Too unsteady to return to his Greenwich Village apartment, he checked into a nursing home for physical therapy.
Two weeks later, he fled.
Complete story is here.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
The NY Times on Tato Laviera
Laviera reads from his latest book, AmeRícan
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3 comments:
Thanks for posting this, Oscar. I had the privilege and pleasure of meeting, diniing, and escorting Tato during his PALABRA PURA reading in Chicago a few years ago.
No worries, Francisco. Tato's poems in the ALOUD anthology were the first Spanglish poems I ever read. He's a true pioneer and I wish him the best in this turbulent time in his history.
An important article. Would our country took care of its artists, a writer like Laviera would not have to face this kind of hardship.
One point: Laviera's most recent book is Mixturao and Other Poems, came out from Arte Pùblico in 2008.
http://www.amazon.com/Mixturao-Other-Poems-Tato-Laviera/dp/1558855246
Buy a copy now and get that man some more royalties.
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