Seated, far left, is Elizabeth Narvaez-Luna (first place); next to her is Zoe Robles (third place). At the podium is Associate Professor Joyce Tolliver.
On a balmy spring evening filled with the scent of lilacs and the poignant memories of a much-beloved LAS professor, the Foreign Language Building's Lucy Ellis Lounge was the unlikely setting for a night of poetry and song. And almost all of it was spoken and sung in Spanish.
The occasion was the 6th Annual Paul W. Borgeson Jr. Poetry Contest sponsored by the LAS Department of Spanish, Italian and Portuguese, and held each spring to remember its namesake through verse, music, and story.
Poet, literary critic, Hispanic literature scholar, and professor, Borgeson died of cancer in 1999. This year's contest accepted verse in Italian, Spanish, and English. The three winning poems-two in Spanish, one in English-were chosen from a record 22 submissions.
While soprano Munia Cabal Jimenez and tenor Marcos Campillo sang a work by Spanish poet Juan del Encina (1468-1529/30),
Compadre, debes saber
Que la mas Buena mujer
Rabia siempre por hoder.
Hartabien la tuya tu.Good fellow, you should know
That even the best of women
Will sell her soul for a kiss
Give yours all you can.
poet and doctoral student Elizabeth Narvaez-Luna sat nervously in the front row of the packed room. She would soon be asked to read her poem "Susana San Juan," a tribute to Borgeson, her first thesis advisor. On a table in front of Narvaez-Luna sat three red roses for the winning poets.
Talia Bugel, chair of the organizing committee for the poetry contest.
A recorder, hand drum and tambourine, viola da gamba and virginal accompanied the singers. Narvaez-Luna listened attentively, but her mind was on how far she had come to reach this moment.
"I had an hemorrhagic stroke six years ago and this was the first time my poetic work was presented to the public, so I was very happy." And, of course, nervous.
The keynote speaker was another former student of Borgeson's, Maria Auxiliadora Alvarez (AM '99, PhD '03 Spanish), assistant professor of poetry, creative writing, and Spanish literature at Miami University in Ohio, Alvarez organized the first Borgeson Poetry Recital in 1999, two weeks before Borgeson passed away. "He said to me that when he was in the hospital suffering alone, the only thing that gave him peace was thinking of that poetry reading," Alvarez said.
When LAS professor Luciano Tosta and doctoral candidate Diana Arbaiza approached the podium to announce the winners, the room was so quiet one could hear the birds flitting across the Quad.
Third place was awarded to Zoe Robles for her "Soy Criatura Nebular." Robles is a PhD student in Italian and her poem was written in Spanish.
Second prize went to English major Chase McCoy for "Ash," a poem written in English.
When Narvaez-Luna's name was called as the first-place winner she appeared stunned. "I was very surprised, because I did receive the invitation to come and read, but no one told me that I would be the award-winning poet of the night." Still, she rendered a beautiful reading of "Susana San Juan" in her native tongue of Spanish while holding her rose.
After the poets read their winning verses, LAS Associate Professor of Spanish Joyce Tolliver opened the floor for a coffeehouse-style open mic poetry session. It took more than a little coaxing, but soon students queued up-brave poems held in trembling hands-and the room resonated with the melodious sounds of Spanish, English, and Italian.
And judging by the smiles and nods of recognition as each poem was read, there was universal agreement-in all languages-as to the inspirational magic of words and music. It was that kind of evening.
