'La suave patria' is often regarded as the Mexican national poem, an extraordinary tour-de-force that would change forever the way that poetry would develop in Mexico. It was one of the last works by Ramón López Velarde, who died of pneumonia at the age of only 33 in 1921, and is the work for which he is most remembered today. After his death, his reputation took some time to grow, but his later espousal by major figures such Xavier Villaurrutia and Octavio Paz has ensured that he will remain central to the story of Mexican 20th century literature. The translation offered here, by poet-novelist (and current President of PEN International), Jennifer Clement, is a remarkable achievement and brings the poem into English for a new generation of readers. The poem is contextualised in an essay by the Mexican poet, Luis Miguel Aguilar, and is embellished by a startling suite of paintings by Gustavo Monroy, from his 'New Screen of the Conquest'--a 21st-century companion work to the original folding 'Screen of the Conquest and View of the City of Mexico', an anonymous work from the late 17th century which measures some 2.1 meters high by 5.5 meters wide. Monroy's brutally ironic modern equivalent stands in the same museum as the original screen.
Clement, Jennifer: - Jennifer Clement studied English Literature and Anthropology at New York University and French Literature in Paris. She is the author of the memoir Widow Basquiat, which made the "Booksellers' Choice" list in the U.K., and 3 novels: A True Story Based on Lies, which was a finalist in the Orange Prize for Fiction in the United Kingdom, The Poison That Fascinates (Canongate, 2008), and Prayers for the Stolen (Random House, 2014), for which she was given the Sara Curry Humanitarian Award. She is also the author of several books of poetry: The Next Stranger, Newton's Sailor, and Lady of the Broom, each published in bilingual editions in Mexico; selections from these volumes, together with newer work feature also in her New and Selected Poems from Shearsman Books. Clement's work has been translated into several languages. Jennifer Clement lives in Mexico City. From 2009-2012 she was President of PEN Mexico, and in 2015 she was elected President, PEN International.
Lopez Velarde, Ramon: - Ramón López Velarde, (1888-1921), modernist Mexican poet who incorporated French Symbolist techniques into the treatment of purely Mexican themes. López Velarde studied law and was a journalist and civil servant. His first book of poems, La sangre devota (1916; "The Pious Blood"), treats the simplicity of country life, the tension between sensuality and spirituality, and the poet's love for his cousin Fuensanta (Josefa de los Ríos); the language is often complex and full of daring imagery. In Zozobra (1919; "Uneasiness") the themes of his previous work are treated with greater intensity. The death of Fuensanta in 1917 elicited the feelings of loss and anguish and the expressions of profound sensuality found in the poems. El son del corazón (1932; "The Sound of the Heart") collected the poems not published at the time of López Velarde's death. Although his poetry did not gain recognition during his lifetime, López Velarde came to be considered one of the greatest Mexican poets of the century. His influence on avant-garde poets in Mexico is unquestionable. He is also the author of the essay collections El minutero (1933; "The Minute Hand"), El don de febrero (1952; "The Gift of February"), and Prosa política (1953; "Political Prose"), dealing with some of the same preoccupations of his poetry in a highly poetic style.
Monroy, Gustavo: - Gustavo Monroy is a painter and graphic artist born in Mexico City in 1959. He is a leading figure in contemporary Mexican art.
