Rattapallax 9

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Best of American Poetry 2004 (edited by Lyn Hejinian). Poems by Anselm Berrigan & Rodrigo Toscano.

American poetry magazine, Rattapallax, partners with Brazil's leading literary press, Editora 34, to release a major issue of the magazine featuring new and innovative poets from both countries. The issue is edited by Flávia Rocha from São Paulo and Edwin Torres from New York City and features leading contemporary poets as wells as songs and lyrics by Caetano Veloso, Arto Lindsay, Arnaldo Antunes, and the Now Sound of Brazil.

"I am excited by the energy of Brazilian poetry and music," said Rattapallax publisher Ram Devineni. "There really has never been a serious focus in the United States on contemporary Brazilian poets who are revolutionizing the Portuguese language. I believe Brazil will help define commerce and culture in the Americas for many decades to come and I hope Rattapallax will draw attention to the individuals who will be on the forefront of Brazilian innovation in the new century. By partnering with Editora 34, which will distribute the magazine in Brazil, we plan to introduce many new and renowned poets from other countries and try to develop an intellectual exchange of ideas."

Flávia Rocha, who has worked as a staff reporter for Casa Vogue and Bravo! replies, "It's clear to me that Brazilian poetry is in process of revitalization and a new enthusiastic generation of poets is making its way in a country that, like any other, questions its faith in the powers of poetical expression. And like in any other country, there are more poets than ever. A proof that Brazilian poetry not only survives, but is quite energized, is in the great number of new magazines, books and journals coming out every year, despite (or perhaps just because) the economical unfavorable times we live in.

The poets don't miss an opportunity to reaffirm their serious intentions and spread their word. They do it with historical perspective, linguistic maturity, humor, and deep sincerity." Some of the Brazilian poets in the issue are Jussara Salazar, Ricardo Corona, Joca Reiners Terron, and Fabio Weintraub. With translations by Michael Palmer, Chris Daniels, Macgregor Card, Cristiana Ferraz Coimbra, and others.

Leading American poet Edwin Torres adds, "With poetry as our global mirror, Rattapallax continues its weaving of international dialogue with a vital collection of emerging voices, contemporary masters, and innovative poets from Brazil and America that challenge the 'now' we find ourselves in; by exploring the reflections of a limitless limit that poets are particularly suited for. Among the brilliant American writers I had a pleasure to include in this issue are Juliana Spahr, Willie Perdomo, Elizabeth Alexander, and Ray Di Palma; poets who all work at the contemporary crossroads of a continually borderless humanity." Torres is the author of The All-Union Day Of The Shock Worker (Roof Books) and the CD Holy Kid (Kill Rock Stars), which was part of The Whitney Museum's exhibition, The American Century Pt. II.

Rattapallax magazine and press has been on the forefront of world literature since it was founded in 1999. The press remains the only poetry publisher in the world to include a CD featuring the contributors with every issue and book. In addition, the press works closely with the United Nations and UNESCO in programming events around the world for World Poetry Day. Last year, the press organized readings on twenty mountaintops for the UN's Year of the Mountain. The magazine has published work from leading contemporary poets like Billy Collins, Marilyn Hacker, Lou Reed, Abbas Kiarostami, and Breyten Breytenbach.

Editora 34, based in São Paulo, Brazil, published its first title in 1992. Since then Editora 34 has become one of the most distinguished houses publishing in the areas of Human Sciences, Social and Literary Studies, Fiction, Drama, Poetry, and Juvenile. With great care for literary and graphical aspects, Editora 34 publishes from young unknown Brazilian authors to Dostoievsky, from Gilles Deleuze to Paul Gilroy.

Brazilian Bios

Sérgio Alcides currently lives in São Paulo. He is the author of several poetry books including Nada a ver com a Lua (Rio: Sette Letras, 1996) and O ar das cidades (São Paulo: Nankin, 2000).

Ricardo Aleixo’s books include Trívio (Scriptum Livros, 2001), A Roda do Mundo (Mazza edições, 1996) and Festim (Ed. Oriki, 1992).He is also a musician and visual artist.

Moacir Amâncio’s first collection of poems, O Objeto Útil (Iluminuras, 1992), was awarded the prestigious Prêmio Jabuti. He has four other books of poetry, the most recent Contar a Romã (Globo, 2001), and writes also in Spanish and English.

Arnaldo Antunes is widely known as a musician (from 1982-1992 he was part of Titãs, one of Brazilian most beloved rock bands, and now works solo). His works of poetry include 2 ou + corpos no mesmo espaço (Persectiva, 1997, with CD) and Nome (BMG, 1993, plus video and CD).

Ademir Assunção has two poetry books, LSD Nô (Iluminuras, 1994) and Zona Branca (Altana, 2001), and is the publisher, with Marcos Losnak and Rodrigo Garcia Lopes, of the magazine Coyote. He has also written songs and experimental prose.

Josely Vianna Baptista’s has written several poetry books and a children’s book, which received the VI Prémio Internacional del Libro Ilustrado Infantil y Juvenil del Gobierno de México. She has translated more then 50 books, including poems by J. L. Borges (Completed Works, Globo), for which she was awarded the prestigious Prêmio Jabuti (1999). On the shining screen of the eyelids (Manifest Press), a collection of her poems selected and translated by Chris Daniels, appeared in the U.S.

Paulo Henriques Britto has won numerous prizes for his book of poetry, Trovar claro (1997), and for his translation into Portuguese of Doctorow’s The Waterworks (1995). Translation credits include books by Don DeLillo, Thomas Pynchon, Wallace Stevens, and Elizabeth Bishop. His fourth book of poetry, Macau, came out this summer in Brazil.

Fabiano Calixto is the author of Fábrica (Alpharrabio Ed., 2000), Algum (1998), and Um mundo só para cada par (Alpharrabio Ed., 2001). With Claudio Daniel, he translated the upcoming Prosa do que está na esfera, poems by León Felix Batista.

Chantal Castelli is the author of Memória Prévia (Com-arte, 2000). Her poems have also appeared in anthologies of the poetry group Cálamo. In 1996 she received an honorable mention in the literary contest Nascente, at University of São Paulo.

Ricardo Corona lives in Curitiba, PR. From 1998-2000, he published with Eliana Borges the magazine Medusa. Works include Cinemaginário (Iluminuras, 1999, poems), Ladrão de Fogo (Medusa, 2001, CD), and the bilingual anthology Outras Praias –13 Poetas Brasileiros Emergentes/ Other Shores –13 Emerging Brazilian Poets (Iluminuras, 1998).

Claudio Daniel has published three books of poetry; the most recent, A Sombra do Leopardo (Azougue Ed., 2001) received the prize Redescoberta da Literatura Brasileira, awarded by Cult magazine. He is also a journalist and translator.

Paulo Ferraz is the editor, with Matias Mariani and Pedro Abramovay, of the magazine Sebastião. Poems from his first book, Constatação do óbvio (Selo Sebastião Griffo, 1999), received an honorable mention in the literary contest Nascente. This prize was awarded to him in 2001, for poems collected in the upcoming De Novo Nada.

Donizete Galvão has six books of poetry, including Azul navalha (T. A. Queiroz Ed., 1999, which received the Associação Paulista de Críticos de Arte’s prize), Do silêncio da pedra (Arte Pau-Brasil, 1996), and Pelo Corpo (Cacto, 2002), with Ronald Polito.

Rodrigo Garcia Lopes holds an M.F.A. from University of Arizona and Ph.D. from Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina. Author of the poetry books Solarium (Iluminuras, 1994), Visibilia (Sette Letras, 1997), and Polivox (Azougue Ed., 2002 – CD released in 2001). He is also a translator and one of the editors of Coyote magazine.

Alberto Martins is a poet and visual artist. His books include Cais (poetry, Editora 34, 2002), Goeldi: história de horizonte (MAC/Paulinas, 1995 – winner of Jabuti Prize for best literature book for young adults), and Poemas (poetry, Ed. Duas Cidades, 1990).

Floriano Martins lives in Fortaleza, CE.His bibliography includes Começo da Busca – O Surrealismo na Poesia da America Latina (Escrituras Ed., 2001, essay/anthology) and Alma em Chamas (Letra & Música, 1998, poetry). He edits,with Claudio Willer, the web magazine Agulha and coordinates the site Banda Hispânica (Jornal de Poesia).

Tarso de Melo is the author of four books of poetry, the most recent Carbono (Alpharrabio/Nankin Ed., 2002). He publishes, with Eduardo Sterzi, the magazine Cacto.

Rodrigo Petronio has published História Natural (poetry, 2000), and Transversal do Tempo (essays, 2001, winner of Jordão Emereriano Prize/Conselho Municipal de Cultura do Recife). Other prizes: Nascente/2000 in poetry and prose categories, and Guimarães Rosa/2001, awarded by Rádio França Internacional, for a collection of short stories.

Neuza Pinheiro is also a singer and composer, having played in Itamar Assumpção’s band and received best performance prize in the 1979’s TV Tupi MPB (Brazilian Popular Music) festival. Her poems have recently appeared in anthologies and magazines.

Ruy Proença is an engineer from São Paulo.Among his books are A lua investirá com seus chifres (Ed. Giordano, 1996, poetry), Como um dia come o outro (Nankin, 1999, poetry), and Boris Vian: poemas e canções (Nankin, 2001, translation).

Ricardo Rizzo is a poet from Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, Brazil. His first book, Cavalo Marinho e Outros Poemas (Nankin Editorial/Funalfa Edições, 2002) was published with a grant conferred by Lei Murilo Mendes de Incentivo à Cultura.

Jussara Salazar, poet and visual artist, is the author of Inscritos da Casa de Alice (Tipografia do fundo de Ouro Preto, 1999) and Jardim dos Retratos (Tigre do Espelho, 2001). She lives in Curitiba, PR.

Joca Reiners Terron is the ex-vocalist of the rock band Ministério da Fome, publisher of Ciência do Acidente press, translator, and graphic designer. Has published Não há nada lá (2001, novella, received an honorable mention –prize Redescoberta da Literatura Brasileira/Cult) and Animal Anônimo (Ciência do Acidente, 2002, poetry).

Dirceu Villa is the author of MCMXCVIII (1998, poems), Antifísio, ou Disparates (satyrical prose, honourable mention – Nascente prize/1998), and Descort (poems, winner of Nascente Prize/2000, with Rodrigo Petronio’s História Natural). He is also a prolific translator.

Fábio Weintraub has published three books of poetry: Toda Mudez será conquistada (Massao Ohno, 1992), Sistema de Erros (Pau-Brasil, 1996, winner of prize Nascente/ 1996), and Novo Endereço (Nankin/Funalfa, 2002, winner of Cidade de Juiz de Fora prize). He coordinates Janela do caos, a collection of Brazilian poetry published by Nankin Editorial.

Translators

Guy Bennett has published three books of poetry, Last Words (1998), The Row (2000), 100 Famous Views (2001); a fourth, Drive to Cluster, is forthcoming in spring 2003. His recent translations include Michel Leiris' Operratics (2001) and Mostafa Nissabouri's Approach to the Desert Space (2001). He lives in Los Angeles, where he publishes Seeing Eye Books.

Macgregor Card is a poet, translator, and editor of The Germ: A Journal of Poetic Research. He recently completed an MFA in Poetry at Brown University, and has published a chapbook titled Souvenir Winner (Hophophop Press, 2002).

Cristiana Ferraz Coimbra has a degree as translator at Associação Alumni, where she also became a conference interpreter. There she met Alison Entrekin, who kindly assisted her with the final translated version of Neuza Pinheiro’s poems.

Chris Daniels lives and works in the San Francisco Bay Area.His translations have appeared in many magazines and websites. Crayon published an 80-page section featuring his and Dana Stevens's translations of Fernando Pessoa. He has upcoming translations of Brazilian poet Josely Vianna Baptista (Manifest Press) and Orides Fontela (Inscrutable Books).

Michael Palmer is the author of numerous books of poetry, including Codes Appearing: Poems 1979-1988 (New Directions, 2001), The Promises of Glass (2000), The Lion Bridge: Selected Poems 1972-1995 (1998), At Passages (1996), and Sun (1988). In 1999 he was elected a Chancellor of The Academy.

Charles A. Perrone is a professor of Portuguese and Luso Brazilian Culture and Literature at University of Florida. Author of Masters of Contemporary Brazilian Song: MPB 1965- 1985 (1989) and Seven Faces: Brazilian Poetry since Modernism (1996), among others. His translations of Brazilian poetry appeared in the anthologies Nothing the Sun Could not Explain (Sun & Moon Press, 1996) and Descontrários/ Unencontraries (1995).

Kenneth Richter is a writer and translator from Seattle, WA. One of his short stories, The sun is setting, is being adapted into film.

Patrícia Soldati was born in Porto Alegre, Brazil and is currently a Ph.D. candidate in Brazilian Literature at Brown University. She has translated The Riot in the Sand: Diary by Kara Walker, published in Portuguese in 2000.

Idra Novey's poetry, translations, and prose have appeared in various publi-cations including Poetry International, Review: Latin American Literature and Art, the Chilean newspaper El Mercurio, and Voc e s Emergentes, a poetry anthology published last year by a Chilean university press. She is currently pursuing an MFA in poetry at Columbia University.