|
|
🦋 Olegario
The proceedings were honored by the priestly presence of three old men, survivors of the massacre. They were seated in the first row, legs together, hats resting on their knees, listening and watching everything, granitic, absent.
Since the first time I read The Art of Resurrection, I've read Santa MarÃa de las flores negras, and so I get a flash of recognition at the end of Zárate Vega's sermon in chapter 15, when he is introduced to the old miners who had survived the massacre in Iquique -- the oldest of them is Olegario Santana, the War of the Pacific veteran who is already 56 years old at the opening of Flores negras, feeding breakfast to his pet vultures. Now he is 91 years old and is present only as a stony visage. I had a hunch when I was reading Flores negras that Santana was Rivera Letelier writing himself into the story, and I'm going to stick with that impression -- nice to see him here.
posted evening of Monday, April second, 2012 ➳ More posts about The Art of Resurrection ➳ More posts about Hernán Rivera Letelier ➳ More posts about Readings ➳ More posts about Our Lady of the Dark Flowers
| |
|
Drop me a line! or, sign my Guestbook. • Check out Ellen's writing at Patch.com.
| |