Calling All Poets! The International Festival of Poetry in Granada

"Si pequena es la patria, uno grande la suena" - Ruben Dario*

"If the nation is small, one dreams it great." Nicaragua's most distinguished poet, Ruben Dario (official site, in Spanish) expressed this sentiment in his early 20th century works. In Nicaragua, Dario is similar to that of iconic American figures like Benjamin Fraklin. He is considered father of the modernist movement in Spanish-American literature, and is referred to as "The Prince of Castillian Letters" (a reference to the Castilian-style Spanish adopted in the Americas after the conquest). His legacy is treasured by Nicaraguans, and helped to inspire a strong literary tradition in Nicaragua. This tradition takes its most sublime form in the words of its many gifted poets.

Karen meets Gioconda Belli

In February of 2013, Granada's 9th International Festival of Poetry marked the continuation of an annual celebration of Nicaragua's well-deserved pride for its poetic tradition. The Festival featured some of Nicaragua's most prominent living authors, including names such as Gioconda Belli (author of The Country Under My Skin, which I highly recommend to anyone interested in Nicaragua and/or the Sandinista Revolution) and Ernesto Cardenal, to whom this year's festival was dedicated. Each of the poets present represents a version of Dario's grand dream of Nicaragua, which has inspired so many like myself to adopt it as a temporary (or permanent) home.

Margaret Randall reading "Immigration Law"

While Granada's Poetry Festival is undoubtedly a celebration of Nicaragua's literary tradition, Nicaraguan poets did not hold the only place in the spotlight. Poets came from all over the world to read their work, give exposees, and participate in round tables on topics addressed in their writing. North American poet Margaret Randall, for instance, gave a talk on women in 21st century poetry, and later read a painful piece about her experience nearly being deported from the United States in the late 80s after writing a number of books that shed light on the devastating, U.S.-backed Contra War.

Others read poetry in languages unknown to most of the crowd, which was then translated to Spanish. I found that listening to poetry in language like Bengali and Norwegian gave me a new appreciation for poet's use of language to create sounds and patterns that alone evoke emotion and lend to the listener's understanding of what the poem conveys, even if the linguistic element is largely inaccessible.

Buggy sponsored by one of the country's
major cell phone companies

A late afternoon stroll around the Granada's central park was filled with the sights, sounds, and smells of Nicaragua: brightly colored paintings boasting of the country's natural beauty; folk music accompanied by a young troupe of traditionally dressed dancers; manure from a line of corporate-sponsored horse-drawn carriages. The festival also included an extensive book fair, craft fair, and live music from national celebrities such as legendary folk singer Carlos Mejia Godoy and his sons, who have flourished in their own styles.

The cathedral of Granada

For many ex-patriots, Granada is a city that should be avoided for it's over-abundance of naive tourists and relatively exorbitant prices. It is a city that brazenly displays its colonial splendor in a gratuitous effort to portray a level of wealth that is elusive for many Nicaraguans. Still, one cannot help but appreciate its charm when seated under a moonlit sky, becoming absorbed in the beautiful, terrible words of some of the world's finest poets, Lake Nicaragua's cool breeze lifting the tips of your hair, carrying with it the faint smell of sweat and fine cigars.

*Unfortunately I cannot figure out a way to get accents to work while maintaining the background color and formatting.