By Rose Rushe
THAT American poet laureates have been drawn to Limerick over years is testimony to the talents behind CUISLE, Limerick City’s International Poetry Festival. This year’s prize is the blessing of Richard Blanco, the Cuban-American who composed ‘One Day’ for President Obama’s inauguration in January 2013 and hence was introduced to millions across the globe.
National City of Culture is pull for this Cuban-American: “There’s a lot of fascinating, fun, exciting things happening here and for me, Limerick is the right sized city with a sense of community”.
Brought in through the Visiting Writers programme, Blanco launched news of CUISLE’s October 15-18 agenda at Hunt Museum, reading established works of his own and new composition. The evening done, this charming, open man drew a cigarette gratefully as he talked to Limerick Post, embarrassed that the phonecall from The White House had him back on the smokes.
His memoir is due out by the end of the month. One has a feeling there will be more diaries/ autobiography over decades from this articulate writer, forthcoming in his political ambivalence as immigrant, a travel compulsion – and dedication to his husband.
Without a drop of Irish in vein, the low-key Blanco confessed his surprise at our hospitality and heart here in Limerick. “The guidebooks suggest nothing of what [Limerick] is. Relative to an American city where there is no walking and pedestrianisation, I am delighted by the wealth of restaurants and buildings.
“Limerick is leaning towards Paris but more homely”.
He invoked the feeling of “having grown up as an exile, something attracting me to Limerick is a sense that it’s in the middle of transforming, finding a place to call home.
“I see it in the infrastructure taking place, City of Culture’s influence, the organisers finding that energy.
“This is a memorable sort of excitement”.
Richard Blanco returned to his home in Maine on Monday 8 last. Read Arts page of Limerick Post 13.09.14 for more on CUISLE, a score years on the go.
