Neruda
An Intimate Biography
By Volodia Teitelboim; Translated by Beverly J. Delong-Tonelli
SERIES:
Texas Pan American Series
University of Texas Press
A biography of the noted Chilean poet.
Teitelboim’s biography may well serve as the most important reference on Neruda’s life and spirit because he maintains a historical distance between the reader and his subject. Teitelboim’s Neruda is close enough to present a penetrating study of the poet, yet it is objective enough to sustain critical perspective. The book spans Neruda’s career from birth until after his death, enabling the reader to glimpse the poet through the mirror of his friend.
The author, a Chilean novelist and politician who was a confidant of Pablo Neruda (1904–1973) for 40 years, rescues the poet from the pedestal of myth in this sweepingly lyrical, highly personal biography. ... Teitelboim skillfully links the creative artist to the public figure by interweaving beautifully translated verses by Neruda with the main narrative.
Volodia Teitelboim (1916-2008) was a noted Chilean politician and lawyer, as well as the
author of numerous books. Beverly J. DeLong-Tonelli is Professor Emerita of Romance Languages and Literature at
California State University, Long Beach.
author of numerous books. Beverly J. DeLong-Tonelli is Professor Emerita of Romance Languages and Literature at
California State University, Long Beach.
- Translator’s Foreword
- Preliminary Note
- Part One. From Rain to War
- I. Frontier Boy
- 1. Visiting His Mother
- 2. Farewell to Parral
- 3. Return
- 4. A Camp City
- 5. His “Momother”
- 6. The Brusque Father
- 7. I Don’t Know How or When . . .
- 8. A Dream?
- 9. Childhood Friends
- 10. The First Poet
- 11. The Ostrich
- 12. A Boy Knocks on Gabriela’s Door
- 13. Stammering Poet
- 14. Boy and Pianos
- 15. His Brother’s Birthday
- 16. Beginnings
- 17. Prose Writer of Necessity?
- II. Twilight Youth
- 18. The Crazy Twenties
- 19. Unamuno and Patriotism’s Stockholders
- 20. Boardinghouses and Tenements
- 21. Maruri and Twilights
- 22. Why “Neruda”?
- 23. The Student
- 24. Friendship and Bohemia
- 25. Flown Away
- 26. Pablo de Rokha
- 27. The Girl from Temuco
- 28. Women and Their Poems
- 29. Incandescent Pollen
- 30. A Tomb for Birds
- 31. The Girl from Santiago
- 32. A Strange Violator of Secrets
- 33. Love and Poetry
- 34. The Verse Changes: The Woman Remains the Same
- 35. Letters as Confession and Anguish
- 36. The Period of the Sturgeon-thin Poet
- 37. Farewell
- 38. Crisis in Bohemia
- 39. The Lazy Man Who Works Like a Factory
- 40. Writers and Elephants
- 41. To the Islands
- 42. Departure
- III. Anguish and Creation in the Orient
- 43. Pressures from Afar
- 44. Responsibilities in Batavia
- 45. Family Letters
- 46. Vigils and Dreams on the Crossing
- 47. Solitude in Burma
- 48. Ambitions and Desires
- 49. Messages from a Castaway
- 50. Doubts in Rangoon
- 51. Realism in Residence
- 52. Letters from the Orient
- 53. Solemn Communique
- 54. Return to “Maligna”
- IV. Writing in the School of Hard Knocks
- 55. The Poet and the Mask
- 56. Song of Songs?
- 57. Two-man Bullfight
- 58. Arrival at the Main Office
- 59. Two Unique Consuls
- 60. Misfortunes
- 61. “Ant” or “Neighbor”?
- 62. Dogs and Poets
- 63. A Warm Welcome
- 64. Affinities
- 65. Controversies
- 66. Rectification
- 67. The Polemic over the Anthology and Tagore’s Gardener
- 68. A Heavyweight Fighter
- 69. On the Eve . . .
- 70. Execution in Viznar
- 71. Why the Change?
- 72. The Book on Spain
- 73. The Poet in the Street and a Femme Fatale
- 74. Literary Passions
- 75. President of Intellectuals
- 76. Water of Life and Death
- I. Frontier Boy
- Part Two. Passion and Death
- V. His Discovery of America
- 77. Accursed Cities
- 78. Elections in Chile
- 79. Houses
- 80. Operation “Salvage”
- 81. The Winnipeg Adventure Continues
- 82. Reflection of the Spanish Experience
- 83. Repentance
- 84. Magical and Violent Country
- 85. Mexican Miscellany
- 86. Battles, Serenades, and Slashes
- 87. Ascent to Origins
- 88. Personal and Extrapersonal Meaning of Machu Picchu
- 89. Four Journeys
- 90. An Unusual Speech
- 91. Congressional Debut
- 92. The Problem of Time
- 93. The Honorable Mr. Reyes Praises Lucila Godoy Alcayaga
- 94. Pro Memoria
- 95. Strange Waltz
- 96. The Great Somersault
- 97. The Poet Accuses
- 98. Clandestine Life
- 99. Looking for a Way Out
- 100. Preparations in the Forest
- 101. Toward the Ends of the Earth
- VI. The World Voyage
- 102. Saint Martin of Free Men
- 103. The Charge to Publish the General Song
- 104. Parisian Debut
- 105. Europe Makes a Discovery
- 106. The Wind of the Old New World
- 107. Farewell to the Senate
- 108. Encounter with Pushkin
- 109. The Verse Underlined by a Young Suicide
- 110. Love and Phlebitis
- 111. Conversation with Exiles
- 112. Italian Interlude
- 113. The Two-headed Woman
- 114. Polygamy and Disinformation
- 115. Welcome at Home
- 116. The Intellectuals Gather
- 117. Joy and Sadness of Sofré the Bird
- 118. Tales and Tallies
- 119. The Prize Adventure
- 120. Donations, Foundations, and Equivocations
- VII. Narrator of Himself
- 121. Fifty Hurrahs and Two Condemnations
- 122. Houses and Women
- 123. The Breakup
- 124. The Invisible Man Makes an Appearance
- 125. The War of Less Than a Hundred Years
- 126. Exchanging Titles
- 127. Neruda Yes, Neruda No
- 128. Clear Days and Cloudy Ones
- 129. Sebastiana and Wine Pitchers
- 130. The Party Man
- 131. Epistles
- 132. A Forgotten Heroine
- 133. Earthquake in His Childhood Land
- 134. History’s Bearded Men
- 135. The Joking Bird
- 136. Outlines
- 137. Airy and Earthly Poetry
- 138. Mysterious Simultaneity of Ideas
- 139. Three-dimensional Man
- 140. With the Turk and the Spaniard
- 141. Civil Registry Official
- 142. The Burden of Fame
- 143. Summing Up and Self-analysis
- 144. His Companion William Shakespeare
- 145. Feet Blue with Cold
- 146. The Book of the Bountiful Table
- 147. Kites
- 148. The Impersonator
- 149. Paparazzi Ire at the Nuptial Hour
- 150. The Mythical Bandit
- 151. Jorge Sanhueza
- 152. Real Birds and Riddle Birds
- 153. The House with the Blue Flag
- 154. The Lilt of the Barcarole
- 155. The Mapuche Trutruca Horn and the Troubadour
- 156. The Shell Collector
- 157. A Bit of Philosophy
- 158. Standard Bearer
- 159. An Unusual Campaign
- 160. A Deaf Old Man with an Accordion
- 161. The Poet and His Century
- 162. Interdisciplinary Madmen
- 163. The City of the Caesars
- 164. Stones, Wait for Me!
- 165. Midnight Speech and Morning Conversation
- VIII. The Song of the Ancient Mariner
- 166. Upsetting News
- 167. The Swedish Decision
- 168. Flashbulb Time
- 169. Jubilation at Home
- 170. Red Corpuscles
- 171. Revelation
- 172. A Castle in the Air
- 173. Futurism’s Sister
- 174. The Albatross Country
- 175. Projects and Relapses
- 176. Araucanian Stone
- 177. The Cantalao Dream
- 178. Tapestries of the Poor
- 179. Revised Dedications
- 180. On Alert
- 181. The Overcoat
- 182. Posthumous Work
- 183. Memoirs and Manuscripts
- 184. Farewell
- 185. Death in the Midst of Death
- 186. The Errant Coffin
- 187. Unwelcome Visitors
- 188. The Cortege
- 189. Until We Meet Again!
- 190. It So Happens I Will Live On
- 191. Postscript of 12 July 1984
- 192. Six Months Later
- V. His Discovery of America
- Notes
- Index of Names
