When you walk Spanish Harlem, you are never too far from poet Julia de Burgos (1914-1953). From Manny Vega’s tile mural of her at 106th Street (between Lexington and 3rd Ave.), to the EHBCC banners with her image hanging from light posts strewn about the neighborhood, to the cultural center named in her honor, and most recently, to the section of 106th Street renamed after her, de Burgos’s presence is felt daily. She was and still is a neighbor in Spanish Harlem.
Born in Barrio Santa Cruz, Carolina, Puerto Rico on February 17, 1914, de Burgos literally fell sick on the streets of Spanish Harlem and died at a nearby hospital on July 6, 1953.
Only 39 years old when she died, the work she left us makes one think about what she took with her to her death. In the short time she was alive, she was able to: win scholarships to attend University High School (Esquela Secundaria, Universidad de Puerto Rico) at which she graduated early; attend and graduate from University of Puerto Rico with a teaching degree by age 19; marry; work as a teacher; work as a writer for a public radio show for kids; divorce (three years after the wedding); work for political freedom and social justice in Puerto Rico; publish two books of poetry (Poem in 20 Furrows (1938) and Song of Simple Truth (1939); her third, The Sea and You (1954) was published after her death); go to New York; move to Cuba with her lover; take graduate courses at University of Havana through which she met several of her idols including Chilean poet Pablo Neruda (she knew all of his Veinte poemas de amor y una canción desesperada/Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair by memory); break things off with her lover; move back to New York in 1942 where she worked as a journalist for a time (wrote for Pueblos Hispanos); write more poetry; worked odd jobs to support herself when things were rough in New York; married again in 1944; moved to Washington DC (where de Burgos studied Portuguese among other studies); and in 1946 moved back to New York where she would remain until her death in 1953.
I noticed this young woman, who stood out due to a stately air, and a characteristic beauty. Her personality imposed itself without our being able to determine what is was due to. It was and extraordinary presence…
Later, an anecdote from Don Jorge Font Saldaña (a publisher): he first describes her tallness, her unique physical beauty, her “eyes that looked as if they were trying to penetrate a person’s soul (she was all but 23 years old at the time), but when he succumbs to the intimidating silence emanating from de Burgos, partially due to the fact that he commented about her dyed hair (for which he did not like) he blurted out: “Where do you come from?” and she replied “Like you, from nowhere.” Touché.
She fell ill several times between 1946 and 1953, and was hospitalized several times including on Welfare Island (now Roosevelt Island). After collapsing on the street, she was taken to a nearby hospital and died of pneumonia. Not carrying any identification, de Burgos was one of the unlucky who ended up on Hart Island in the Bronx, a cemetery for people who have no money for burials and for unknown and unclaimed bodies. After about a month, her family and friends tracked down what happened to her. She was exhumed and returned to Carolina, Puerto Rico, where she is buried.
In Song, Agüeros translates every known poem by de Burgos into English and sets them side-by-side with the original poem in Spanish.
So let the poems speak for themselves…and for the brilliance of Julia de Burgos.
I Am Embodied in Now (Soy en cuerpo de ahora)
How this load of centuries wants to knock me down
that on my back drinks the current of time!
Time never changing that stagnates in the centuries
and that nurtures its body with past reflections.
I am afraid of the height of your ambitions—it tells me–;
the yesterday that nurtures me bends in the interior
of your simple life that admits no past
and that lives in the alive, open to the moment;
now the always nakedness of your mind angers me,
repels my load and expands in the new;
it confuses me now in the svelteness of your idea
that flagellates my face and straightens your body…
look to one side and another: hunchbacks, mediocrities;
they are mine, the ones who water my always full vacuum;
be one of them; untwist your vanguard; limp;
it’s so easy to flip from the live to the dead.
You have wanted to knock me down, load in the body of centuries
of prejudices, of hatreds, of passions, of jealousies.
You have wanted to knock me down with your heavy load
But I found myself, and your effort was in vain.
Go, line your centuries with the vulgar ignorant;
my ambitions are not yours, my flights are not yours.
I am embodied in now; about yesterday I know nothing.
In the alive, my life knows the I Am of the new.
Soy en cuerpo de ahora (I Am Embodied in Now)
¡Cómo quiere tumbarme esta carga de siglos
que en mi espalda se bebe la corriente del tiempo!
Tiempo nunca cambiante que en los siglos se estanca
y que nutre su cuerpo de pasados reflejos.
Tengo miedo de lo alto de tus miras—me dice–;
el ayer que me nutre se doblega en lo interno
de tu vida sencilla, que no admite pasado,
y que vive en lo vivo desplegada al momento;
ya me enfada la siempre desnudez de tu mente
que repele mi carga y se expande en lo nuevo;
ya me turba la fina esbeltez de tu idea
que flagela mi rostro y endereza tu cuerpo…
mira a un lado y a otro: jorobados, mediocres;
son los míos, los que abrevan mi vacío siempre lleno;
sé uno de ellos; destuerce tu vanguardia; claudica;
es tan fácil volcarse de lo vivo a lo muerto.
Has querido tumbarme, carga en cuerpo de siglos
de prejuicios, de odios, de pasiones, de celos.
Has querido tumbarme con tu carga pesada,
mas al punto encontréme y fue vano tu empeño.
Vete, forra tus siglos con el vulgo ignorante;
no son tuyas mis miras; no son tuyos mis vuelos.
Soy en cuerpo de ahora; del ayer no sé nada.
En lo vivo mi vida sabe el Soy de lo nuevo.
This poem was one of the two poems de Burgos wrote in English. I’m guessing the word play (farewell/welfare) in the title is one of the reasons. She was hospitalized at Goldwater Memorial Hospital on Welfare Island (now Roosevelt Island). De Burgos would die several months later.
Farewell in Welfare Island (Adios en Welfare Island)
It has to be from here,
right this instance,
my cry into the world.
Life was somewhere forgotten
and sought refuge in depths of tears
and sorrows
over this vast empire of solitude and darkness.
Where is the voice of freedom,
freedom to laugh,
to move
without the heavy phantom of despair?
Where is the form of beauty
unshaken in its veil simple and pure?
Where is the warmth of heaven
pouring its dreams of love in broken spirits?
It has to be from here,
right this instance,
my cry into the world.
My cry that is no more mine,
but hers and his forever,
the comrades of my silence,
the phantoms of my grave.
It has to be from here,
forgotten but unshaken,
among comrades of silence
deep into Welfare Island
my farewell to the world.
Adios en Welfare Island (Farewell in Welfare Island)
Tiene que partir de aqui,
en este mismo instante
mi grito al mundo.
En algun lugar la vida fue olvidada
y busco refugio en profundidades de lágrimas
y pesares
sobre este gran imperio de soledad
y oscuridad.
¿Donde está la voz de la libertad
libertad de reir,
de moverse
sin el pesado fantasma del desespero?
¿Donde está la forma de la belleza
inquebrantable en su velo simple y puro?
¿Donde está el calor del cielo
virtiendo sus sueños de amor en espíritus quebrados?
Tiene que partir de aqui,
en este mismo instante,
mi grito al mundo.
Mi grito que no es más mio,
pero de el y de ella para siempre,
los camaradas de mi silencio,
los fantasmas de mi sepultura.
Tiene que partir de aqui
olvidado pero inquebrantable,
entre camaradas del silencio
muy adentro en Welfare Island
mi despedida al mundo.
With this never ending winter in New York (really, do we still need hat and gloves on a late April evening?), the mind drifts towards warmer times. Case in point: just about a year ago, the 106thstreeters were renting a fabulous little Madrid apartment in the hip and happy neighborhood of Malasaña. Every thing we read about Malasaña described it as the “East Village” or “Camden Town” of Madrid, so we were very skeptical. But you know what? All that hype was right on the money. The area has a great vibe packed with cozy little tapas bars, butcher shops, bakeries, cafes…but the true gem is Plaza de Juan Pujol (named after a fascinating figure in Spanish history). Public spaces like these are a dime a dozen for Europeans, but for us Americans, living on a little square like this is heaven. Here the old and young mix, families drink beer together in the sun, kids revel in the small playground while adults chat up their friends, and everyone brings their street wise dog out for a walk. This is an urban paradise. And then, as night falls, drunk yet behaved teenagers come out to sing Bob Marley tunes until the cops show up (on mopeds of course) and tell them to go home. Finally, cleaning crews sweep through at 3 am and make the plaza spotless, ready for another day in the life of this great Madrid neighborhood.
Shadows start to engulf Plaza de Juan Pujol. C. Nelson, 2010.
A Madrileno dog takes in a great view of the city. C. Nelson, 2010.
The playground is the centerpiece of the plaza. C. Nelson, 2010.
Looking down on Bar El Rincon. C. Nelson, 2010.
Watching the action on the plaza down below. C. Nelson, 2010.
Looking down Calle del Marques de Sta Ana in the afternoon. C. Nelson, 2010.
Sunset over Calle del Espiritu Santo. C. Nelson, 2010.
The other day, walking down 14th Street, there was a noise. A very familiar noise. But not to New Yorkers’ ears. There were brass instruments, there was a drum, and there was singing. It was a beautiful sound, that after a few trips to New Orleans, you start to instantly recognize. Getting closer, the band actually looked familiar. It was the Treme Brass Band whose amazing performance we had caught at the Candlelight Lounge a few weeks earlier. It was all a big show for the media to promote the DVD of the first season of the excellent HBO series Treme. But there were a handful of us enjoying this rare outburst of spontaneous joy on the streets of New York. And it worked, because I plucked down thirty bucks and had the cast sign the DVD box while everyone munched on complimentary Hubigs Pies and king cake.
The Treme Brass Band doing their thing on 14th Street. C. Nelson, 2011.
Actors from the Treme HBO TV Series: Venida Evans, Rob Brown, Wendell Pierce, Melissa Leo. C. Nelson, 2011.
Dancing and playing (New Orleans style) in the streets of NYC. C. Nelson, 2011.
Antoine Batiste (real life: the great actor Wendell Pierce) promoting the HBO series. C. Nelson, 2011.
If you spend an afternoon wandering around East Harlem, you’ll immediately notice all of the amazing street art. From gorgeous murals to brilliant graffiti to intricate tile designs, beauty is everywhere. But if you live here and stroll by these creations everyday, they start to blend into the background. Mission: to start highlighting some of these visually stimulating images that make this neighborhood great. Here’s a small sampling between 103rd Street and 108th Street from Lexington to Third Avenue.
Ultimate Meditation Center (107th just off of Third Ave). C. Nelson, 2011.
108th St & Third Ave. C. Nelson, 2011.
Mr DES 1000 at 108th & Third. C. Nelson, 2011.
Free Oscar and Avelino mural on 107th Street. C. Nelson, 2011.
The Spirit of East Harlem, by Hank Prussing and restored by Manny Vega in 1998. C. Nelson, 2011.
La Reina de la Salsa Celia Cruz on 103rd by James De La Vega. C. Nelson, 2011.
Sticker art by Manny Vega on 106th Street. C. Nelson, 2011.
Director and screenwriter Tanya Hamilton is someone you should make note of. You could be saying years from now, “Yeah, I’ve seen every film she’s made. I’ve known about her work from the beginning.” This claim would let others know that A. you know your shit and B. (more importantly) you’ve been able to experience a film master, master her craft.
A. Maysles, J. Joseph, and T. Hamilton at Maysles Cinema. C. Nelson, 2011.
With cinema vérité master Albert Maysles filming, those of us who packed the Maysles Cinema last night experienced Night Catches Us, a film by Tanya Hamilton, as well as a post-screening Q&A with Hamilton and Jamal Joseph, Associate Professor and Chair at Columbia University School of the Arts (Film), writer, director, poet, and one of the youngest members of the Black Panther Party. Added to that were audience members who were also Panthers, contributing to the heart-felt and hard-hitting discussion about making film that is more art than entertainment and what it was like to be a member of the Black Panthers in the heat of it.
Night Catches Us, set is 1976 Philadelphia, delves into the lives of several Black Panther members, post “war”, and their struggle to remake their lives, professionally and personally. This film brilliantly exposes our universal sense of loss with the American need/ability to reinvent oneself. Thankfully, the film is rooted with a sense of beauty, intelligence, and emotional insight that makes us ready to confront the inner disquiet. Oh yeah, The Roots provide the gorgeous soundtrack…pass the popcorn.
In this year of revolution, the film also makes us think about the possibility within our own country, of our own economic and social revolution…started by many before us, which has yet to be fully realized.
And, go to the Maysles Cinema. It’s a great place for some revolutionary inspiration.
Living in Spanish Harlem is always fresh. Perhaps, not the air, but definitely the energy. Come spring, this neighborhood comes alive the second the faintest hint of sweet, warm springness touches El Barrio. It’s a good time to reflect on how cool this neighborhood is. We here at 106th Street know personally or know in passing many El Barrio neighbors who make or have made this neighborhood distinctive and livley. In appreciation of our neighbors, the 106thstreeters are going to let all of you know just what you’re missing by not living here or at least not swinging by to say hola.
Art for Change is a bedrock of coolness in Spanish Harlem and NYC. One of the ahead-of-the-curve badass organizations, Art for Change does it all–from organizing Hacia Afuera: Taking Back Our Streets Through the Arts, to hands-on children’s art workshops (Social Justice and the Art of the Piñata) for the lovely wee ones, to what they do more effectively than any organization I know of–supporting, promoting, sponsoring, and making available art that makes you think, feel, live, care, and want to…be a part of the world and change the world.
On Saturday, March 26, 2011, once again Art for Change, being the kind of amazing neighbor that everyone would love to have next door, is hosting (in collaboration with the non-profit organization Tenants & Neighbors and artist Heather M. O’Brien) a forum focusing on an issue that is immediate and urgent for many people in New York City. On June 15, 2011 (three months from now), the New York rent laws that currently keep many of us in the city able to afford the roofs over our heads are in danger of expiring . RENEW: A conversation about gentrification, displacement, and rent regulation will provide us all with the opportunity to learn, discuss, and take action to ensure that our homes and neighborhoods will remain just that. Come one, come all, and come say hey to one of the best art organizations in the city. Refreshments will be served after, along to the beats of DJ Sabine Blazin…the 106thstreeters will be there, no doubt.
Go here: (if not a neighbor, take the 6 train to 110th Street…and check out the cool tile art in the station!)
ART for Change Gallery: 1699 Lexington Ave. (between 106th and 107th Streets, on the East side of Lex, Basement level.)
The New York skyline is a stunning site to behold. But the New York sky? Not so much. However, every once in awhile a beautiful sunset takes place from our vantage point in East Harlem. We may not have the mighty Hudson to frame the setting sun like our fellow New Yorkers on the west side, but we can get some pleasant hues of orange, blue, and red that light up the sky just fine.
The sky at 5:42 pm in late February. C. Nelson, 2011.
The 106thstreet crew made a little road trip for some pre-Mardi Gras festivities in New Orleans. Although today is the big event, the week leading up to Fat Tuesday has no shortage of lively parades, morning cocktails, and general chaos (imagine 50 horses galloping through bumper-to-bumper traffic downtown at 11 pm). The parades in New Orleans aren’t like New York’s straight down Fifth Avenue, keep to the script and schedule versions. In New Orleans they have weird and wonderful floats, beads and other goodies raining down onto the crowds, crazy dance troupes, drum lines, marching bands, baton twirlers, Elvis moped crews, unicycle gangs…it just never ends. Did we mention that a lot of them are at night and you can legally drink on the street right in front of the cops? Now that’s our kind of parade! We’re going to share a few adventures from The Big Easy in the coming weeks, but in honor of Mardi Gras here are some photos from the Krewe of Muses parade on Magazine Street that rolled through Uptown on March 3.
Custom made parade ladder for kid-friendly viewing. C. Nelson, 2011.
"I am not Mexican, I am Man" float. C. Nelson, 2011.
Edna Karr marching band from the Algiers neighborhood. C. Nelson, 2011.
The baton twirlers mesmerized the crowds. C. Nelson, 2011.
Just 1 of the 24 all-female floats that takes part in Muses. C. Nelson, 2011.
The Pussyfooters marching club struts their stuff. C. Nelson, 2011.
A mom and her two kids tower over other spectators. C. Nelson, 2011.
A real cop and a fake cop posing with the revelers. C. Nelson, 2011.
WWOZ float, one of the best radio stations in the US. C. Nelson, 2011.
The high school bands don't stand still for long. C. Nelson, 2011.
Too bad this guy can't turn around and see the float. C. Nelson, 2011.
After a few hours, it all becomes a blur. C. Nelson, 2011.
East Harlem is a puzzle. And we don’t mean “puzzle” as in a mysterious urban land that is difficult to comprehend (although that is true to a certain degree for every New York neighborhood). No, literally we have a real jigsaw puzzle of our beloved neighborhood with hundreds of little cardboard pieces. You give an address to Map Marketing (based in the UK), and they use satellite photography to turn any neighborhood into a puzzle with the given address at the very center.
As previously noted, we’re self-professed map nerds, so this was one of the coolest gifts we’ve ever received; and also one of the most time consuming and frustrating. After many weeks and long nights of hard work (with whiskey/wine/beer in hand of course), it finally started coming together. First, Central Park and the Harlem Meer with their green and water features making them easy to identify started to appear. Then the East River with it’s darker shade of H2O came together. Next, the Metro-North slowly took hold with tracks running diagonal in a unique color that stood out from the other roads. After that it was long hours identifying the big public housing developments, parking lots, main intersections, and smaller parks like Thomas Jefferson and other green spaces around East Harlem. Finally, the last piece was placed, and victory was ours.
Except…the puzzle was actually missing a piece along the northern border (you can see in the photo below). We searched everywhere, but it wasn’t in the box, on the floor, or anywhere at all. It must have fallen out at the production facility. I emailed the company, and they very nicely offered to send us a new one free of charge. Just like a real neighborhood, this puzzle is a constant work in progress. Just when you think you have it figured out, you need to go back and take a fresh look.
A custom made puzzle of East Harlem. C. Nelson, 2011.
across106thstreet 