Concerned with giving voice to Cape Verdean life, Fortes writes in Cape Verdean Creole - and not just standard Portuguese - a powerful statement reinforcing the islands' distinctive African nature. However, his poems are often written from the perspective of an exile - and themes of exile and redemptive return recur in his work. This collection introduces English readers to Fortes, and the poet's beautiful and unique use of language.
Corsino Fortes is a poet and a diplomat. Born on the Cape Verdean island of São Vicente in 1933, his early work appeared in Claridade (Clarity), a journal that defined Cape Verdean literary identity from the later 1930s to 1960. Fortes' first full poetry collection Pao & Fonema (Bread & Phoneme) was published in 1974. The poet's use of Cape Verdean Creole - and not just standard Portuguese - is a powerful statement reinforcing the idea of the islands' distinctive African nature. Fortes studied in Portugal and spent much of his life abroad on diplomatic service - most notably in Angola and Lisbon.
Concerned with giving voice to Cape Verdean life, Fortes writes in Cape Verdean Creole - and not just standard Portuguese - a powerful statement reinforcing the islands' distinctive African nature. However, his poems are often written from the perspective of an exile - and themes of exile and redemptive return recur in his work. This collection introduces English readers to Fortes, and the poet's beautiful and unique use of language.
Author
Corsino Fortes is a poet and a diplomat. Born on the Cape Verdean island of São Vicente in 1933, his early work appeared in Claridade (Clarity), a journal that defined Cape Verdean literary identity from the later 1930s to 1960. Fortes' first full poetry collection Pao & Fonema (Bread & Phoneme) was published in 1974. The poet's use of Cape Verdean Creole - and not just standard Portuguese - is a powerful statement reinforcing the idea of the islands' distinctive African nature. Fortes studied in Portugal and spent much of his life abroad on diplomatic service - most notably in Angola and Lisbon.
