A Cuban in Borges´ Olympus

Jorge Luis Borges did not reach the Nobel Prize-which he widely deserved – but the legend of great writer, the aura of super acute sage, the condition of perennial spring from where especially those who do not have read him in depth get accurate anecdotes and phrases.

Borges´ previous formidable stages as a poet, novelist and essayist would probably not have adapted to the current market and massive recognition if not for his transformation into “the other” Borges: the blind man-but also cheerful in his depth and sarcasm- who spent the last years of his life defending inaccurately and even stupidly some political causes; or the show man, who gave bright definitions during interviews and conferences worldwide.

Having one of his works was actually complicated in Cuba because he was considered an enemy of the government, so he was shortly published. If not for the insistence and extensive literary vision of Roberto Fernandez Retamar, we could not have even enjoyed the brief but effective anthology published by Casa de las Americas. Many Cuban readers think -not without reason – Retamar, in addition to promote and prolong the above selection, should do more to prevent Borges´ almost total absence of our libraries. That’s a topic for other lines. I am grateful for the anthology and I have the certainty that only one intellectual, despite being highly respected in the orbits of cultural power as is the case, could not solve this or other editorial gaps.

Alfredo Alonso Estenoz was born on Agramonte, a large area of sugarcane production located in the Cuban province of Matanzas, in1971 and he did it precisely when began the worst time of intolerance where it was not only complicated reading Borges, but also condemned to stay in silence the last ten years of his life to one of the most important writers of our century: Virgilio Piñera. By the way, Virgilio and Borges met each other around the 1950s during the fertile period of 12 years Virgilio lived in Argentina.

Alfredo Alonso studied journalism. It is likely he first read Borges when living at the Students Scholarship of F and 3rd. The author of these lines remembers verses or entire paragraphs of the Argentine writer brought by Chinea, a former student, and others who were classmates of Alfredo- in years of blackouts and many shortages-and shared room, tea, rum, readings and dreams with a colleague about ten years older.

What surprises me after two readings of ¨Los límites del texto: autoría y autoridad en Borges¨ , newly edited by Verbum, is that whom for many was youthful passion, or unjust silence claim, has become a few-words and modest man, this Cuban who despite living some years in America has not lost his serene, honest and humble appearance; but what surprise me the most is that those first and mischievous readings, resulting in a torrent of wisdom, have become Alonso Estenoz one of the leading experts on Borges´ work.

Now I subscribe you the assertions of Daniel Balderston, director of the University of Pittsburgh Borges Center: “This book makes a fundamental contribution to the study on Borges´ work, which shows with intelligence and originality how Borges creates Borges and how his creations are characters in search of their author.”

In the field of essays, books are divided in strictly academics and those which borrow without losing reliability of the narrative, journalism or biography to achieve an enjoyable result and conquer readers beyond specialized circles. The book we are talking about would have be included in the first group for the well-spent-for-research years, the range and rigor of its sources, the proper organizing of its essay speech and the approach of assumptions and conclusions. However, the fluidity of the prose, the same strength of wisdom that must not overwhelm us, makes it a pleasant reading book.