She has the gaze of a new moon, and her voice carries dreams and realities. Among her many inspirations, Nancy Morejón has written poems that document social events, and in particular, those of a race that never ceased fighting for its rights. Woven from the deepest feeling, her poetry touches the soul; that is how sincere it is.

Her valuable essays on visual arts, dance, music, and literature are essential references for delving into these areas of knowledge. An important cultural event was the presentation of her book Pájara de cristal, fósforo y aire at the 21st International Book Fair of Venezuela.

BIOGRAPHY

A native of Havana, born on August 7, 1944, she was writing verses by the age of thirteen. At eighteen, she published her first book of poetry, Mutismos. Shortly after, she released Amor, ciudad atribuida, both from El Puente editions. She received the Rubén Martínez Villena Poetry Prize from the University of Havana for Los heraldos negros.

On the influence of Africa in her literary career, she has said, "Life brought me into contact with songs and rhythms that had an anonymous character, the essential root of their power. Voices in the early morning brought a sad melody which evoked the death of a loved one. They were the moving 'coros de clave' that were so Havanan, so eroded by the dust of the roads and the seas, for those tunes that had been transmitted by word of mouth came from distant lands. It was ambulant music and we did not know if it had been born in a patio in Andalusia or in a 'museke' of Luanda. It was truly a magical combustion whose smoke rose from the small plaza of Antón Recio to the corner of Peñalver and Manrique. My childhood was marked by these nomadic musicians who went from neighborhood to neighborhood giving away their music selflessly, simply for the pleasure of contenting themselves and brightening the night for poor neighbors with no resources."

ON HER ART

In her journey, we also discover the painter who captivates us with her drawings, in which we can find the influence of great artists. Juanamaría Cordones-Cook notes, "Following the line of an tireless expressive search, a new artistic vein of the poet saw light in 2002, when the critic Aitiana Alberti discovered and organized an exhibition of Morejón's visual works. The title of this first exhibition, 'Pasatiempos' (Pastimes), alludes to the inner creative disposition to fill passing time, while thinking or conversing, with lines, circles, signs, on any disposable or recyclable paper or card. From those cards emerge, drawn with felt pens or graphite, multicolored vases of flowers, kites, fish, moons, and some Pierrots and harlequins that express melancholy, when not pain, with an occasional tear rolling down a cheek. Her drawings reveal traces of Paul Klee, Joan Miró, and Manuel Mendive, but the Pierrots show a greater affinity with the solitary and sad ones of Federico García Lorca, to whom the poet pays tribute with these creations."

She presided over the Association of Writers and Artists of Cuba (UNEAC) and is the author of valuable books such as Mutismos, Amor, ciudad atribuida, Richard trajo su flauta y otros poemas, Parajes de una época, Octubre imprescindible, Cuadernos de Granada, Piedra pulida, Fundación de la imagen (essay), Baladas para un sueño, Poemas de amor y muerte, Paisaje célebre, Botella al mar, Divertimentos y otros poemas, Cántico de la huella, Ana Mendieta, Cuerda veloz, La Habana expuesta, and Entre leopardos.

AWARDS AND DISTINCTIONS

Nancy has been the recipient of numerous accolades: the Enrique José Varona Essay Prize from UNEAC in 1980 for her book Nación y Mestizaje en Nicolás Guillén; the National Prize for Literature of Cuba in 2001; New York University conferred upon her the Yari-Yari Prize for her body of work in 2004; the Golden Crown of Struga in 2006, in Macedonia, previously proclaimed at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris; Universal Galician Writer in 2008; and an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Cergy-Pontoise in 2009. She holds the insignia of Officer of the Order of Merit of the French Republic.

In the splendor of her well-established body of work, the poet strolls in the blue of the clouds and paints the infinite joy of those who love on an island called Cuba.

Translated by Sergio A. Paneque Díaz / CubaSí Translation Staff