Palabra Pura “South of the Border: Way South”

Curated by Beatriz Badikian Gartler and featuring Fernando Olszanski and Bernardo Navia.

Curator

Beatriz Badikian-Gartler was born and reared in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and has lived in the Chicago area for over thirty-five years. Badikian-Gartler holds a Ph.D. in English from the University of Illinois at Chicago and teaches at various institutions of higher learning. Her essays, poems, and stories have been published in numerous journals, anthologies, and newspapers in the United States and abroad. She is a popular performer in the Chicago area and lectures often on women’s issues, art, and literature. In 2000 Badikian was selected as one of the One-Hundred Women Who Make a Difference in Chicago by Today’s Woman magazine. She is an Illinois Humanities Council Road Scholar and a frequent Newberry Library instructor. Her second full length collection, Mapmaker Revisited: New and Selected Poems, was published in 1999 from Gladsome Books in Chicago. Her first novel Old Gloves – A 20th Century Saga was published in 2005 by Fractal Edge Press in Chicago. Her art work has been exhibited at Robert Morris College, Around the Coyote art festival, and other venues in Chicago. Her collages are available for purchase on her website: www.bbgartler.com

Featured Poets

Fernando Olszanski was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He has lived in Ecuador, Europe, Japan and currently in the United States. Is the author of the novel Rezos de marihuana, the book of poems Parte del polvo and participated in several anthologies around the world. As a writer he has been awarded for his poetry, fiction and essays in Argentina, Spain Mexico, Venezuela and the U.S. He has published his work in The Barcelona Review and Espéculo, in Spain; Franchachela and Las Letras in Argentina, Contratiempo, The Cove, Ventana Abierta, The Bilingual Review, Divergencias, in the US, and also in Mexico, Chile, Ecuador, Denmark, Japan, Brasil, Philippines, and Colombia. Part of his work has been translated to Japanese. He is the Chief Editor of Revista Consenso, a publication of Northeastern Illinois University. As a Filmmaker he has participated in several film festivals, including the Chicago Latino Film Festival and the Chicago Anarchist Film Festival. His last book, El orden natural de las cosas, has been awarded with the International Latino Book Award in the Best Popular Fiction category. He lives in Chicago.

Bernardo E. Navia L. was born in Chilán (Chile) in August, 1967. He had the opportunity of living in many Chilean cities and in several Latino countries as well. In September 1987 he and his family moved to the United States. He studied a Major in Spanish from the Universidad de las Antillas, in Puerto Rico and obtained a Spanish Master from UIC. In 2001 he graduated from UIC as well with a Ph.D. in Spanish. At the present moment he works as a Spanish Assistant Professor at DePaul University. Bernardo has published several essays, poems, and short stories in different magazines and newspapers, from United States and abroad. He has also published two poetry books, Doce muertes para una resaca (Madrid: Betania 2000), and Viaje en dos jornadas (Bloomington: Palibrio 2011); one book of short stories, Sin tregus y otros desórdenes urbanos (Bloomington: Palibrio 2010); he has also co-authored another two short stories books, Vocesueltas: Cuatro cuentistas de Chicago (Chicago: Ediciones Vocesueltas 2007); and Voces Online (Santiago de Chile: Escritores.CL 2010). Bernardo is married to Leslie Klatt; they have three children: Inti (7 years old), Leaf (4 years old), and Rain (1 year old).

Bernardo E. Navia L. nació en Chillán (Chile) en agosto de 1967. Tuvo la oportunidad de vivir y viajar por muchas ciudades de Chile así como también por diversos países de América Latina. En septiembre de 1987 se radicó con su familia en Estados Unidos. Cursó estudios de Bachillerato en Español en la Universidad de Las Antillas en Puerto Rico y Maestría en Español en UIC. En el año 2001 terminó su Ph.D. en la misma universidad y actualmente trabaja como profesor asistente de español en DePaul University. Bernardo ha publicado varios ensayos, poemas y cuentos en diversas revistas y periódicos tanto de Estados Unidos como del exterior. Ha publicado también dos libros de poesía, Doce muertes para una resaca (Madrid: Betania 2000) y Viaje en dos jornadas (Bloomington: Palibrio 2011); un libro de cuentos, Sin tregua y otros desórdenes urbanos (Bloomington: Palibrio 2010); y es co-autor de otros dos libros de cuentos, Vocesueltas: Cuatro cuentistas de Chicago (Chicago: Ediciones Vocesueltas 2007); y Voces Online (Santiago de Chile: Escritores. CL 2010). Bernardo está casado con Leslie Klatt y tiene 3 niños: Inti (7 años), Leaf (4 años) y Rain (1 año).