Jorge Luis Borges
Author of the day

Jorge Luis Borges

Jorge Luis Borges was an Argentine writer, poet, essayist, and translator. His work is characterized by its philosophical depth, intricate plots, and exploration of themes such as time, infinity, identity, and the nature of reality. Borges is considered one of the most significant literary figures of the 20th century, renowned for his innovative use of literary devices and his profound influence on postmodern literature.

Poem of the day

Grass

Carl Sandburg
Pile the bodies high at Austerlitz and Waterloo.
Shovel them under and let me work
-I am the grass; I cover all.

And pile them high at Gettysburg
And pile them high at Ypres and Verdun.
Shovel them under and let me work.
Two years, ten years, and the passengers ask the conductor:

What place is this?
Where are we now?

I am the grass.
Let me work.
Read full poem

Born on this day

11
Diamond

Diamond is a Cape Verdean rapper and songwriter, known for his lyrics that address social and love themes, and reflections on life in Cape Verde and the diaspora. His music combines traditional Cape Verdean rhythms with hip-hop influences, creating a unique sound that resonates with a wide audience. With a career marked by authenticity and connection to his roots, Diamond has established himself as an important voice in Lusophone music, especially in the rap genre. His work is a reflection of his identity and experiences, offering a raw and poetic perspective on the reality that surrounds him.

Olinda Marques de Azevedo

Olinda Marques de Azevedo was a Portuguese writer whose works frequently explored the intimate dimension and the yearnings of the female soul. Her poetry is marked by refined sensibility and careful language, reflecting the conventions and aspirations of her time. Her literary output, although not extensive, left a record of an attentive gaze on emotions, interpersonal relationships, and the search for deeper meaning in existence. Her works engage with the literary currents of the era, presenting a voice that, within the limits established by society, sought to express the complexity of the female universe.

Isaac Felipe Azofeifa

Isaac Felipe Azofeifa was a prominent Costa Rican poet and essayist, known for his profound reflection on identity, history, and the human condition. His poetic work, marked by dense lyricism and careful language, explored universal themes with particular sensitivity, often reflecting on the individual's relationship with time and memory. Azofeifa also stood out as a public intellectual, contributing significantly to the cultural and literary debate in Central America.

Juó Bananére

Juó Bananére was a Brazilian poet and columnist, known for his work marked by humor, irreverence, and social criticism disguised in simple verses. His writing frequently explored everyday life, popular characters, and the peculiarities of urban life with accessible language and a keen eye on the human condition. Although his literary production occurred in a specific period, his peculiar style and the originality of his poetic voice distinguish him in Brazilian literature.

Maria Almira Medina

Maria Almira Medina is a contemporary Portuguese poet, whose work is characterized by introspective lyricism and a profound reflection on themes such as memory, time, nature, and the female condition. Her poetry stands out for its evocative language and the sensitivity with which she explores the complexities of human existence.

João Carlos Pereira

João Carlos Pereira was a poet whose work stood out for its lyrical depth and exploration of universal themes such as love, death, and the ephemerality of existence. His writing is marked by careful language and intrinsic musicality, characteristics that earned him a prominent place in Portuguese poetry. Although he lived far from the literary spotlight, his poetry continues to resonate for its authenticity and its ability to touch the reader's soul.

Ilya Kaminsky

Ilya Kaminsky is a Ukrainian-born poet, critic, and translator, known for his poetry that explores language, memory, history, and the immigrant experience. His work is marked by a profound musicality and a keen eye for the complexities of the human condition.

León Felipe

Spanish poet, León Felipe is an unmistakable voice in 20th-century poetry, marked by a deep religiosity and an existential commitment. His work is characterized by the apparent simplicity of his language, the depth of his reflections on life, death, and transcendence, and a constant search for authenticity. Through a style that is both colloquial and elevated, he explored universal themes with a compassionate and hopeful outlook.

Manuel José Quintana

Manuel José Quintana was a distinguished Spanish poet and politician of Neoclassicism and Pre-Romanticism. He is recognized for his civic and patriotic poetry, which exalted the ideals of freedom and progress in a context of political and social upheaval in Spain. His work, marked by a careful style and an elevated tone, reflected the concerns of his time, seeking to reconcile neoclassical reason with the new sensibilities that announced Romanticism. His figure was important in the literary and intellectual life of the early 19th century.

Died on this day

7
Honório Armond

Honório Armond was a Brazilian poet and writer, known for his lyricism that frequently explored themes such as saudade (longing), nature, and religiosity, with a touch of melancholy and introspection. His poetic work, though perhaps less publicized than that of some contemporaries, is valued for its musicality and the depth of feelings expressed, reflecting a sensitive view of the human condition and the world around him.

Antoine de Rivarol

Antoine Gombaud, Chevalier de Rivarol was a French writer and scholar, known for his wit and aphorisms. He was a prominent figure during the Age of Enlightenment, known for his critiques of the French Revolution.

Primo Levi

Primo Levi was an Italian writer, chemist, and Holocaust survivor. He is best known for his detailed account of his experience in Auschwitz, "Is This a Man".

The effable is preferable to the ineffable.
Jacques Prévert

Jacques Prévert (1900-1977) was a French poet and screenwriter, known for his lyrical and accessible work, which frequently addressed social, romantic, and everyday themes. His poems, marked by a colloquial and surrealist style, gained immense popularity, especially with the publication of 'Paroles' in 1946. As a screenwriter, he collaborated with filmmakers like Marcel Carné, creating French cinema classics.

Je suis comme je suis
Francisco Xavier Cândido Guerreiro

Francisco Xavier Cândido Guerreiro, known by his literary pseudonym Cândido Guerreiro, was a Portuguese poet whose work falls at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century. His poetry is marked by an intimate lyricism, with strong expressions of the Alentejo landscape and themes such as loneliness, saudade, and religiosity. He was one of the exponents of the so-called "Geração de 1890" and a singular poet in his ability to evoke the soul of Alentejo.