Raúl Zurita and William Rowe, with Nuri Gené-Cos: April 9, 2009

Raúl Zurita reads from his book of poetry INRI, in the original Spanish, with William Rowe reading his translation of that work, and from Canto a su amor desaparecido (Song to His Disappeared Love), with Rowe again reading his translation.

Raúl Zurita and translator William Rowe are joined by psychiatrist Nuri Gené-Cos, in an extended conversation following the reading from Zurita's works INRI and Song to His Disappeared Love. Zurita offers his comments and responses in Spanish, with Rowe providing English interpretation. 

Reference is made to the poetic work of César Vallejo (who Zurita finds of primary importance as a poet who "suffered the language he lived in," borne out in his complex encounter with that "language's role in a history of oppression and injustice") and Rainer Maria Rilke, Gené-Cos having made use of both poets' work in a therapeutic context with traumatized patients. Zurita states, considering how "the language writes the poem," that "no poet writing in Spanish can be an atheist"; that though they may not believe in a Christian God, owing to the language "God appears." 

Eleni Stecopoulos, who organized this convocation under the rubric "Poetics of Healing," brings questions and comments, as do several others from the audience. 

Asked by Robert Kaufman from the audience about the method by which the poet works with language as an attempt at bringing about aspects of healing, Zurita replies (with Rowe interpreting) that his books were written "not from an act of will...but from a position of devastation....out of despair." Zurita is asked about the reasons for his engagement with Peruvian and other poetries, and says it's his experience that his work with writing doesn't come about due to intent, but owing to more mysterious causes.

Gené-Cos notes that under trauma it's common that the language function of the brain shuts down, and forms of mutism take over. Stecopoulos suggests, and Gené-Cos speaks to, therapeutic work requiring "translation" of traumatic expression. Rowe notes that while working on translating the poetry he recognized, with INRI, that Zurita "invented a form that wasn't there before," as there is "the need to make a form in the language" in order to confront the damage caused by extreme political violence.

Rowe recalls the use of perfumes by Amazonian shamans, and Gené-Cos speaks of the use of scents to help prevent patients' flashback, as flashbacks bring re-traumatization.

The convervsation is cut short as the participants have to leave for a later presentation that same evening.