The poet remarks on his new book: “these are simply the musings of a man from the countryside, returning them to the community.” Yaiza publishes Alongado al brocal with the editorial support of Horizontes Atlánticos.
In his language, displaying the same mode of expression as any rural man, the Yaiza writer Jaime Quesada presented his “newborn” Alongado al brocal this Friday at the Casa de la Cultura Benito Pérez Armas. He described it as “a being that, although it has been developing gradually over several years, today appears in book form, on pages printed with the scent of ink that have recently crafted the words now reaching you all, which are indeed the musings of a man from the countryside, returning them to the community.”
A moving literary evening featured the reading of romances, décimas, and seguidillas performed by men and women invited by the author. The artistic expression was complemented by music played on the violin by young Martina Sánchez Quesada, Jaime’s granddaughter, celebrating the birth of this work during the patronal festival of Remedios. The publication is released with the support of the Yaiza Town Council and the editorial backing of Horizontes Atlánticos.
Celebrating Literary Accomplishments
The Mayor of Yaiza, Óscar Noda, praised the 37-year-old writer’s career in education, 35 years of which have been spent as the head of Playa Blanca School. He stated, “All this time, this journey and experience, both inside and outside the school context, have enriched Jaime’s writing, which carries the imprint of his profound love for Yaiza.”
Meanwhile, the poet and Culture Councillor of Yaiza, César Rijo, described the work as “a transcription in verse of the daily lives of our towns, the lives of our parents and grandparents—an essential act, so that all of us, particularly the younger generations, do not forget our essence.”
In the same vein, editor Ignacio Romero asserted, “Jaime’s poetry conveys culture, and this is one of society’s great challenges: not to lose our history, our identity, and our unique character.”
What Awaits in Alongado al brocal?
What will we find upon opening the pages of Alongado al brocal? The preface by writer and poet Marcos Hormiga highlights that “we will encounter agricultural or maritime nomenclature, the insular geography of Lanzarote, and the psychological portrait of its inhabitants, coloured by his personal experiences, leaving a mark of memories and observations, in the aforementioned types of poetic discourse,” referring to romances, décimas, and seguidillas.
Social Commitment
Jaime Quesada also portrays contemporary reality in his poetic work. As the prologist notes, “his approach to current and, unfortunately, perennial issues is not subtle: intolerance, illiteracy, migration, the invisibility of the most disadvantaged, inequality, dementia…”
His verses encapsulate reflections on the level of well-being achieved through the development of Lanzarote and the benefits or detriments arising from it. Among other aspirations, Jaime Quesada hopes the book “encourages reflection on all the work that so many men and women, in anonymity and without recognition, did for and on behalf of their community.” The event concluded with a book signing that lasted nearly an hour, due to the number of attendees eager not to miss the unveiling of Alongado al brocal. The Casa de la Cultura in Yaiza was filled to capacity.
