Link to cardenal.mp4

On April 18th, 2011, Ernesto Cardenal presented his most recent work, "The Origin of Species and Other Poems" at the RCAH Theatre in Snyder Hall.  The night was filled with laughter and poignancy as the legendary poet/artist read and mused on his latest work.

Ernesto Cardenal, widely acknowledged as Latin American’s greatest living poet, is a Nicaraguan artist, former Ministry of Culture of his country (1979-1988), founder of Solentiname’s artistic movement, spokesman for justice and self-determination in Latin America, and human rights activist. In his 2011 book the poet mixes myth with pop culture, and a belief in the divine coexists with a profound concern for the material world that is as often unsettling as it is beautiful.