Description: A contribution to ongoing cross-cultural and cross-disciplinary conversations about language, nature, and Asian migration across the Americas, this dual-language edition of Natural History by the Peruvian poet José Watanabe is finally available in both Spanish and English for the first time.
Brief description: JOSÉ WATANABE (1945-2007) is one of Peru's most revered contemporary poets. His repertoire of articles, screenplays, anthologies, and children's books is best known for its seven original volumes of poetry. Watanabe was awarded the Casas de las Américas Prize in 2000 for his anthology El guardian del hielo (The Ice Guardian); he is also remembered for his adaptation of Antígona, which rendered into free verse for the renowned theater troupe El Grupo Cultural Yuyachkani.
Review Quotes: Watanabe's poetry offers a lucid perspective on the human condition; each poem combines philosophical reflections with a language in which the concern for the aesthetic is not overshadowed by the impact of honesty. Watanabe constantly reminds us that to be alive means to fight relentlessly against death and that often our only and most valuable weapon in such a hard-fought battle is the written word.-- "Latin American Literature Today"