Merida Featured Reading - January 2009: Coral Bracho
Coral Bracho was born in Mexico City in 1951.
Coral Bracho has published numerous books of poetry:
Firefly Under The Tongue: Selected Poems of Coral Bracho, New Directions (2008) translated to English by
poet Forrest Gander
Cuarto de Hotel ("Hotel Room"), Ediciones Era (2007)
A donde fue el Ciempies?, Ediciones Era (2007) Illustrations by Rafael Parajas, poetry for children
Huellas de Luz ("Tracks of Light"), Ediciones Era S.A. de C.V. (2006)
Ese Espacio, Ese Jardin ("That Space, That Garden"), Ediciones Era (2003)
Trait du Temps/Trazo del Tiempo, Ecrits des Forges (2001) translated to French by Dominique Soucy
Watersilks, Poetry Ireland (1999) poems translated from English, French and Portuguese
Of Their Eyes as Crystalline Sand, Duration Press (1999) translated to English by poet Forrest Gander
La Voluntad del Ambar ("The Disposition of Amber"), Ediciones Era (1998)
Huellas de Luz ("Tracks of Light") (1994) a reissue of her first book of poems - Peces de Piel Fugaz
Jardin del Mar (1993), Illustrations by Gerardo Suzan, poetry for children
Tierra de Entrana Ardiente ("Earth's Smoldering Core") (1992) in collaboration with artist Irma Palacios
Bajo el Destello Liquido: Poesia 1977- 1981 ("Under the Scintillant Liquid") (1988)
El Ser Que Va a Morir ("The Being That is Going to Die") (1981)
Peces de Piel Fugaz ("Fish of Fleeting Skin") (1977)
Coral Bracho's translated poems appear in the several anthologies, including:
Líneas Conectadas: nueva poesía de los Estados Unidos (Connecting Lines: New Poetry from Mexico), Sarabande Books (2006)
(ed. Luis Cortes Bargallo and Forrest Gander as translation editor)
Reversible Monuments: An Anthology of Contemporary Mexican Poetry, Copper Canyon Press (2002)
Medusario: Muestrade Poesia Latinoamericano/a, (A Sampling of Latin American Writing), Fondo De Cultura Economico USA (1996),
(eds. Roberto Echaverren, Jose Kozer and Jacobo Safami), anthology of contemporary neo-baroque writing from Latin America
Mouth to Mouth: Poems by Twelve Contemporary Mexican Women, Milkweed Editions (1993)
In 1981, Coral Bracho received the Premio Nacional de Poesia de Casa de la Cultura de Aguascalientes award for her book, El Ser Que Va a Morir. In 2000, Coral received a Guggenheim Fellowship. In 2004, she received the Prize Xavier Villaurrutia for her book, Ese Espacio, Ese Jardin. Coral Bracho is also a translator and holds a doctorate in literature.
Ms. Bracho currently teaches at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) in Mexico City.
“Her work has altered the landscape of Mexican poetry in a way that is comparable to John Ashbery’s in the U.S.” —Poetry magazine
“Coral’s work is so idiosyncratic, it’s hard to emulate.” — José Luis Rivas, Bomb magazine
An Introduction of Coral Bracho by Forrest Gander is here
A translation of a Coral Bracho poem by Forrest Gander, with notes is here