Puerto Rican writer Giannina Braschi will speak about her latest book, Putinoika, on Wednesday, October 16, 2024, at 10:00 am, at the University of Puerto Rico-Río Piedras (Jorge Enjuto Room—Room A, College of Humanities), and at 6PM at The Bookmark, in San Patricio Plaza, Guaynabo.
(As published in Repeating Islands on October 9, 2024)
Puerto Rican writer Giannina Braschi will speak about her latest book, Putinoika, on Wednesday, October 16, 2024, at 10:00 am, at the University of Puerto Rico-Río Piedras (Jorge Enjuto Room—Room A, College of Humanities). Braschi will be in conversation with panelists Rocío C. Zambrana García, Maritza Stanchich, and Carmen Haydée Rivera, with Elidio La Torre Lagares as moderator.
At 6:00pm, the author will read from her work at The Bookmark bookstore in San Patricio Plaza, Guaynabo. Carmen Haydée Rivera and Elidio La Torre Lagares will host the discussion at this event.
[Also see our previous post New Book: Giannina Braschi’s PUTINOIKA.]
Is it a bomb? A poem? A novel? A play? Fiction? Essay? Comedy? Drama? All of the above?
We’ll have to figure that out. But, in the meantime, the College of Humanities at the Río Piedras Campus of the University of Puerto Rico has the honor of hosting one of the most prominent authors in contemporary literature, Puerto Rican writer Giannina Braschi. She returns to her native island to discuss her distinctive diasporican writing and present her latest work. This exceptional literary event will take place on Wednesday, October 16, 2024, at 10:00 a.m., in the Jorge Enjuto Room (Room A) of the College of Humanities.
Putinoika, a Menippean satire that examines the dynamics of political power in the 21st century, focusing on the intersection of Vladimir Putin’s persona and Donald Trump’s disruptive policies, while situating Puerto Rico’s colonial question within a global context of post-truth and geopolitical chaos.
The conversation will feature prestigious academics and writers who will delve into the significance of Braschi’s work and the global impact of her literary style. Panelists include Dr. Rocío C. Zambrana García (Department of Philosophy), Dr. Maritza Stanchich (Department of English), and Dr. Carmen Haydée Rivera (Department of English), with Dr. Elidio La Torre Lagares, professor of the Department of Comparative Literature, serving as moderator.
On the same day, at 6:00 p.m., Braschi will read from her work at The Bookmark bookstore in San Patricio Plaza, Guaynabo. Dr. Rivera and Dr. La Torre Lagares will host the discussion at the evening event.
Giannina Braschi is an internationally renowned, disruptive author with influential titles such as Empire of Dreams, Yo-yo Boing!, and United States of Banana. Acclaimed for her ability to weave poetry, theater, and prose into her narratives, Braschi is an essential voice in Latin American literature. Her work innovatively addresses themes of power, identity, and global politics, always with a style that challenges traditional literary conventions.
About Putinoika, Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Forrest Gander has said that “[l]ike her characters’ frenzy, [Giannina] is a provocateur who believes in and pledges her fidelity only to ‘everything that exists.’”
As writer Carmen Boullosa has pointed out, the book “is a meditation on poetry, art, the pandemic, politics, Trump, his wall, the Putinas, the author, Puerto Rico, Oedipus, and Baudelaire.” True to Braschi’s experimental style, the novel begins with the foundations of Western civilization to offer a critical and poetic perspective on contemporary challenges, promising to spark deep reflections during the discussion. The title itself resonates as a provocation, inviting interpretation and philosophical analysis.
Both events are free and open to the public. It is an unmissable opportunity to explore the creative mind of an author who constantly redefines the boundaries of writing.
For more information, contact Lorna Castro (lorna.castro@upr.edu) or Elidio La Torre (elidio.latorre@upr.edu).
Comments