JAMES BALDWIN [10.415]

James Baldwin

James Arthur Baldwin (2 agosto 1924 - 1 diciembre 1987) fue un novelista, ensayista, dramaturgo, poeta y crítico social.

OBRA:

Go Tell It on the Mountain (semi-autobiographical novel; 1953)

The Amen Corner (play; 1954)

Notes of a Native Son (essays; 1955)

Giovanni's Room (novel; 1956)

Nobody Knows My Name: More Notes of a Native Son (essays; 1961)

Another Country (novel; 1962)

A Talk to Teachers (essay; 1963)

The Fire Next Time (essays; 1963)

Blues for Mister Charlie (play; 1964)

Going to Meet the Man (stories; 1965)

Tell Me How Long the Train's Been Gone (novel; 1968)

No Name in the Street (essays; 1972)

If Beale Street Could Talk (novel; 1974)

The Devil Finds Work (essays; 1976)

Just Above My Head (novel; 1979)

Jimmy's Blues (poems; 1983)

The Evidence of Things Not Seen (essays; 1985)

The Price of the Ticket (essays; 1985)

The Cross of Redemption: Uncollected Writings (essays; 2010)

Together with others:

Nothing Personal (with Richard Avedon , photography) (1964)

A Rap on Race (with Margaret Mead ) (1971)

One Day When I Was Lost (orig.: A. Haley; 1972)

A Dialogue (with Nikki Giovanni ) (1973)

Little Man Little Man: A Story of Childhood (with Yoran Cazac , 1976)

Native Sons (with Sol Stein , 2004)

Music/Spoken Word Recording:

A Lover's Question (CD, Les Disques Du Crépuscule ‎– TWI 928-2, 1990)

TÚ ESCRIBES…

Tú escribes para cambiar el mundo, sabiendo

perfectamente bien que probablemente no puedas

hacerlo, pero también sabiendo que la literatura

es indispensable para el mundo... El mundo cambia

de acuerdo a la forma en que la gente lo ve, y

si tú modificas, aunque sea por un milímetro,

el rumbo, la gente lo vería como una realidad;

entonces tú puedes cambiarlo.

LA PASIÓN

La pasión no es amistosa. Es arrogante,

magníficamente despreciativa de todo lo que no es

ella misma, y, como definición de sí,

implica un impulso de libertad, y además tiene un posible

poder intimidante. Contiene un desafío.

Y contiene una esperanza siempre indecible.

TEN CUIDADO

Ten cuidado con lo que pongas en tu corazón,

porque seguramente va a ser tuyo.

según la versión de Eduardo Dalter 

Some Days

Some days worry

some days glad

some days

more than make you mad.

Some days,

some days, more than shine:

when you see what's coming

on down the line!

Some days you say,

oh, not me never - !

Some days you say

bless God forever.

Some days, you say,

curse God, and die

and the day comes when you wrestle

with that lie.

Some days tussle

then some days groan

and some days

don't even leave a bone.

Some days you hassle

all alone.

I don't know, sister,

what I'm saying,

nor do no man,

if he don't be praying.

I know that love is the only answer

and the tight-rope lover

the only dancer.

When the lover come off the rope today,

the net which holds him is how we pray,

and not to God's unknown,

but to each other - :

the falling mortal is our brother!

Some days leave

some days grieve

some days you almost don't believe.

Some days believe you,

some days don't,

some days believe you

and you won't.

Some days worry

some days mad

some days more than make you glad.

Some days, some days,

more than shine,

witnesses, 

coming on down the line!