Visiting scholar John Burns to deliver lectures, narrate poetry program
University of Maine alumnus and chair of the Department of Modern and Classical Languages and Religion at Rockford University in Illinois will deliver lectures and host a poetry program at UMaine in September.
John Burns, an associate professor of Spanish who teaches Latin American literature, will give the lecture “Behind The Savage Detectives: The Infrarrealist Movement” at 4 p.m. Sept. 16 in Hill Auditorium, Barrows Hall.
The talk will examine the genealogy of a group of Latin American poets known as the infrarrealists who lived in Mexico City in the mid–1970s.
On Sept. 17, Burns will take part in a lecture and discussion with the Bangor area’s CHISPA Centro Hispano, titled “Aesthetic of the Rain: Translating the work of contemporary Chilean poet Raúl Hernández.” The event will be held at 6:30 p.m. in Hill Auditorium. That morning, the Honors College invites members of the UMaine community to attend a discussion and breakfast with Burns at 8 a.m. on the fourth floor of Colvin Hall. RSVP to Molly Hunt at mary.hunt@maine.edu by Sept. 14.
At 6:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 18, Burns will host “Secrets of the Old,” readings of William Butler Yeats’ most famous poems in the Bear’s Den Cafe & Pub in the Memorial Union.
Joining the worldwide celebration of Yeats’ 150th birthday, UMaine will feature an evening of speakers and readers with an open microphone. Guests are asked to bring their favorite Yeats poem to share.
During his visit, Burns also will meet with classes.
His UMaine appearance is sponsored by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Honors College, School of Performing Arts, Department of Modern Languages, English Department, UMaine Humanities Center and Cultural Affairs/Distinguished Lecture Series.
Burns’ recent publications include “Contemporary Hispanic Poets: Cultural Production in the Global, Digital Age;” “Aesthetic of the Rain,” a translation of work by Chilean poet Raúl Hernández; and “Una tribu de salvajes improvisando a las puertas del infierno: Antología Beat,” an extensive anthology of Beat poetry compiled, translated into Spanish and annotated in collaboration with Rubén Medina.