Distinguished poet Martin Espada — a UW-Madison alum known as “the” Latino poet of his generation, and “the” Pablo Neruda of North America – will be giving a poetry performance that you will find at once illuminating, humorous, moving, and interdisciplinary. The main event takes place at Pyle Center, on Thursday, April 30 at 7 p.m.: Poetry Of The Political Imagination: A Reading By Martin Espada.

There will also be two brownbag lectures. both in in 5233 Mosse Humanities:

• “The Redemption of Pablo Neruda,” at noon on Thursday, April 30
• “Colonialism and the Poetry of Rebellion” in Puerto Rico, at noon on Friday, May 1.

Espada’s poetry breaks down conventional knowledge boundaries. It unites powerfully literature and history, political and social analysis, ethnic studies and area studies. It puts forth an “Americas” vision that encompasses New York and Puerto Rico, Wisconsin and Chile. It produces an experience that is at once edgy and humane, funny and dramatic.

Espada’s many honors include two Paterson Awards for Sustained Literary Achievement, citation as Pulitzer Prize Finalist, a John Simon Guggenheim Foundation Fellowship, and most recently, the National Hispanic Cultural Center Literary Award.

Co-sponsors for these events include the Center for the Humanities, the Office of MultiCultural Arts Initiatives, the Department of History, LACIS (Latin American, Caribbean, and Iberian Studies), the Harvey Goldberg Center for the Study of Contemporary History, the Comparative U.S. Cultures Cluster, and Chicana/o and Latina/o Studies.