Tuesday, July 08, 2008

On the Passing of Alfredo Arteaga

Chicano poet and essayist, Alfred Arteaga, has passed away. Alfred was an extraordinary multi-lingual poet, often writing poems through in English, Spanish, French, German and Nahua. He was the author of several books of poetry (Cantos, Red, Love in the Time of Aftershocks) and of cultural studies (Chicano Poetics and An Other Tongue). His latest book of poetry, Frozen Accident, came out in fall 2006 from Tia Chucha's Press. He was Professor of Chicano Studies at UC Berkeley, an institution he somehow managed to survive as a poet and a human being. He remains online at alfredarteaga.com.

And from Juan Felipe Herrera, this note says more than I could possibly hope to:

Lisita,

Another great hermano, poeta, literary critic pioneer has passed away. A swashbuckling, handsome, mind wrestler and heart igniter, Alfred, Xicano Apollinaire, pioneer, clarinet-voiced, a word-painter, and logos-creator, so humble and so strong at the same time, one of the Bay Area Latino Literary Renaissance giants --

ahh, those sweet years.
Gracias Alfred for your palabras, your love giving, you good spirit smile, may light, blessing falls upon you in your new path of peace

tu carnal Juan Felipe

raulrsalinas, luis omar salinas and now, Alfred Arteaga - three pillars, three blazes of sun


Lisa Alvarado

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