ABOUT THIS BOOK

In this bilingual edition, Ernesto Cardenal celebrates his country's successful revolution against the Somoza regime. Recognized world-wide as a major poetic voice from Latin America, he also has long been an activist fighting for political freedom, and he served as Nicaragua's Minister of Culture from 1979-1988. In Flights of Victory, Ernesto Cardenal reflects on events of recent Nicaraguan history with poems about the insurrection against Somoza, the triumph of the popular movement, and the reconstruction of the country, from the unique perspective of a poet-participant.

AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY

ERNESTO CARDENAL MARTÍNEZ (1925–2020) is a Nicaraguan Catholic priest and was one of the most famous liberation theologians of the Nicaraguan Sandinistas, a party he has since left. From 1979 to 1987 he served as Nicaragua's first culture minister. Cardenal was the founder of the primitivist art community in the Solentiname Islands, where he lived for more than ten years. He is also famous as a poet, having authored more than 60 volumes of poetry, essays, and criticism.

Marc Zimmerman is an associate professor of Latin American Studies at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

REVIEWS

"Cardenal's work has always focused on the 'democratization of culture'...his love of people, language, and country." —Library Journal

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"His verse often seems like 'story-poetry', relating events, impressions and emotions that are deeply rooted in material history..." —NACLA

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Preface
Introduction: Ernesto Cardenal after the Revolution

I. Vuelos de insurrección
Flights of Insurrection

Ofensiva final / Final Offensive
Amanecer / Dawn
La llegada / The Arrival
Las campesinas del Cuá
En el lago / On the Lake
Vuelo sobre la patria sin escala / Flight over the Homeland without Stopover
Barricada / Barricade

II. Vuelos de victoria y celebración
Flights of Victory and Celebration

Luces / Lights
Meditación en un DC-3 / Meditation in a DC-3
Aterrizaje con e[itafio / Landing with Epitaph
Otra llegada / Another Arrival
Visión de un rostro / Vision of a Face
Llegaron las del Cuá / The Women from Cuá Arrived
Libres / Free
La mañanita / The Morning

III. Vuelos de Reconstrucción
Flights of Reconstruction

Ocupados / Busy
Reflexiones de un ministro / Reflections of a Minister
Reunión del gabinete / Cabinet Meeting
Waslala / Waslala
Ecologia / Ecology
Las tortugas / The Turtles
Fundación de la Asociación Latinoamericana para los Derechos Humanos / Founding of the Latin American Human Rights Association
Misa ecuménica en Düsseldorf / Ecumenical Mass in Düsseldorf
Concentración en St. George / Mass Rally in St. George
Las loras / The Parrots
Visión mistica de las letras FSLN / Mystical Vision of the Letters FSLN
En Managua a media noche / In Managua at Midnight

IV. Vuelos de memoria y visión
Flights of Memory and Vision

Preguntas frente al lago / Questions by the Lake
El cuento de los garrobos / The Tale of the Garrobos
El chancho que no comió Rigoberto / The Pork Rigoberto Didn't Eat
A Donald y Elvis / To Donald and Elvis
A Ernesto Castillo mi sobrino / To Ernesto Castillo My Nephew
Viaje muy jodido / A Very Screwed-Up Trip
Ante una foto / Before a Photo
En la tumba del guerrillero / In the Tomb of the Guerrilla Fighter
19 de Julio / 19th of July
Visión de la ventanilla azul / Vision from the Blue Window

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