September 5, 1914

Nicanor Parra (September 5, 1914 to January 23, 2018), winner of the Miguel de Cervantes Prize, and nominated 4 times for a Nobel, was also a physicist.

Here is a summary of Parra's significance, in the form of an obituary, with this headline: 'Parra introduced the concept of "anti-poetry," opting for a grounded, blunt and "darkly comical" style instead of traditional lyrical forms.'

'Nicanor Parra, one of Chile's most notable poets, has died in the city of Santiago. He was 103 years old.

'He taught theoretical physics in the University of Chile as well as at Columbia University, Yale University, New York University and Louisiana State University in the United States.Parra is mostly known for his work in literature, but he also spent over 30 years studying and teaching mathematics and physics in England, the United States and Chile.

'Parra began his university degree in mathematics and physics in 1933. Two years later, he published his first short story, "Cat on the road," in the journal he co-founded in his former boarding school. Thanks to the Institute of International Education, Parra went to Brown University in 1943, when he undertook postgraduate studies in advanced mechanics. By 1948, he had become the director of the engineering school in the University of Chile, a post he held for 20 years.

'In 1954, with the help of colleague Pablo Neruda, Parra published "Poems and Anti-Poems," a collection of poems with which he introduced the concept on "anti-poetry." This concept is opposed to the traditional, flowery and lyrical form of poetry, opting instead for a grounded, blunt and "darkly comical" style. Since then, his literary creation became prolific and his work gained international recognition.

'In 2011, he won the Premio Cervantes, the most prestigious literary award in the Spanish-speaking world.

'He was an artist in a broad sense. Aside from literature, he also explored installation art. Parra once displayed life-sized cardboard silhouettes of every Chilean president hanging from nooses and a coffin with a steering wheel inside.

'Some reactions to his death include that of Chilean President Michelle Bachelet, who lamented via Twitter, "Chile loses one of the greatest authors in the history of our literature and a singular voice in Western culture."'

I guess the irony in the lasts two paragraphs was intentional.

We close with a lovely example of Parranor's work--- an evocation of that personal era, when one is young, brilliant, and has brilliant friends.

THOSE TIMES

We all went around like lunatics
Looking for the fifth leg
On that cat in the dark:
Lucho was the only one who found it
His exact words
Look them up in his Intimate Journal
Considered by Leonidas Morales
As one of the greatest forces
Of modern Chilean literature

Aside from Enrique Lihn of course.

The source of this poem is has an interesting discussion of Chilean literature.