LITERATURE + LECTURES

The Flamenco Poets Society presents their summer presentation España en el Corazón–Spain in the Heart  featuring works by Pablo Neruda & Rafael Alberti.  A bilingual reading by Ben Lind and Julietta Parra Ducote at the Brazilian Arts Foundation Saturday, July 28, 2012 at  7:30 pm. 

Long before they met in person, these two poets corresponded prior to Neruda being appointed as a diplomat to Spain. Alberti was instrumental in helping Pablo Neruda find a home in Madrid, and they became close friends. The explosion of the civil war changed Neruda's life and poetry forever.

His poems from Spain in the Heart are bitter & sad about the war, and not long afterwards he left for Chile. Likewise, Rafael Alberti fled Spain during the civil war & spent 40 years in exile first in Argentina and then in Rome before returning to his homeland. His work from this period is full of nostalgia for his beloved Spain.

This program is a celebration of Pablo Neruda & Rafael Alberti for their contribution to poetry.

The Flamenco Poets Society strives to convey the emotions of these poets who have recorded their experiences through the written word. Our readings and programs are held at various locations throughout Houston, and we organize two bilingual readings per year. Past programs have featured the works of such diverse writers as Federico Garcia Lorca, Pablo Neruda, Rubén Darío, Gabriela Mistral, the Anthology of Flamenco Poetry, Julia de Burgos, Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, Octavio Paz, César Vallejo, Rosario Castellanos and Kyra Galván.

In addition, the Society presents an annual storytellers event and our popular Café Cantante series mixes poetry with flamenco music, dance or film.

The vision of the Flamenco Poets Society is to make Latin American and Spanish literary culture accessible and appreciated by the general public.

The Flamenco Poets Society is a non-profit organization based in Houston that is dedicated to promoting an appreciation and understanding of Latin American & Spanish poets and the Flamenco Arts.