“And the Word Becomes Flesh: Transthinking José Martí’s Versos libres” is a special presentation by the distinguished Martí scholar Ryan Spangler, in commemoration of the 128th anniversary of José Martí‘s death.
In the prologue written for his translation of Victor Hugo’s Mes fils published in March of 1875, José Martí wrote, “To translate is to transthink; […] to think like him, to inthink, to think within him” (OC 20:12). That is, the translator must think, feel, and approach the literature from the same lens as the original author in order to grasp the sensibility of the text and reproduce an authentic replication of the author’s intentionality. In order to translate José Martí’s writing, one must immerse themselves in his being, his thoughts, his motives, and then simply, or rather, impossibly, transcribe his Spanish language voice into English-voice Martí. The purpose of Spangler’s presentation will be to evaluate a variety of translations of Martí’s Versos libres, including his own, and assess the possibility of capturing Martí’s authentic voice and intentions.
The presentation will be followed by a Q&A via Zoom, moderated by Ricardo Gil, director of our History Program.
This event is part of our CreateNYC Language Access Series on Cuban History, Art, and Literature. It will be held in English and will be streamed through our YouTube channel.
TO ATTEND, CLICK HERE ON THE SCHEDULED DATE AND TIME:
https://youtu.be/O42p-r-fyHI
To participate in the Q&A via Zoom, click here:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89526024766
[Image above: Original copy of Martí’s poem “Amor de ciudad grande”]
Ryan Anthony Spangler received his Ph.D. from the University of Kentucky. He is an Associate Professor at Creighton University where he specializes in 19th and 20th Century modernismo and Avant-Garde poetry. He has published on the concept of spirituality in the works of José Martí and Rubén Darío, and the theater of resistance in the dramaturges, Haffe Serulle and Victor Zavala Cataño. In 2018, he and Georg Schwarzmann co-edited the critical anthology Syncing the Americas: José Martí and the Shaping of National Identity. His recently completed English language edition of Martí’s Versos libres is currently under review. Additionally, in 2012 Spangler was the youngest recipient of the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Award for Teaching Achievement, Creighton University’s most prestigious teaching award. He is currently working on a book tentatively titled The Universe Speaks: Sacred Symbology and the Politics of Redemption in the Poetry of José Martí. Spangler will also be publishing a chapter in Martí in Context, the forthcoming Cambridge University Press volume on Martí. The chapter will be a critical interpretation of Cuban exilic literature and the impact that Martí’s historical context and writing played in their development.
This event is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, and made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts and the New York State Legislature.
With the promotional cooperation of
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“And the Word Becomes Flesh”: Transthinking José Martí’s Versos libres is a complementary presentation of our XXII Congreso Anual, this year dedicated to further exploration of José Martí’s life and legacy, on the 170th anniversary year of his birth, to be held at Barnard College on Sunday, November 12, 2023.