Murales de Rivera

The Consul and M. Laruelle had a good view of the Rivera frescoes from where they were. "you get an impression from here those turist can't up there," M. Laruelle said, "they're too close." He was pointing with his tennis raquet. "The slow darkening of the murals as you look from right to left. It seems somehow to symbolise the gradual imposition of the Spaniards' conquering will upon the Indians. Do you see what I mean?""If you stood at a greater distance still it might seem to symbolise for you the gradual imposition of the Americans' conquering friendship from left to right upon the Mexicans," the Consul said with a smile, removing his dark glasses, "upon those who have to look at the frescoes and remember who paid for them." U. the V.

"Desde donde estaban el Cónsul y M. Laruelle alcanzaban a tener una buena visión de los frescos de Rivera -Desde aquí logras una impresión que allá arriba no tienen los turistas -dijo M. Laruelle-; están demasiado cerca -apuntaba hacia ellos con su raqueta de tenis-. El lento oscurecimiento de los murales cuando se ven de derecha a izquierda. En cierto modo parece simbolizar la gradual composición de la voluntad conquistadora de los españoles sobre los indios. ¿Comprendes lo que quiero decir?
-Si te pararas más lejos, te podría parecer que simboliza la gradual imposición de la amistad conquistadora de los norteamericanos, de izquierda a derecha sobre los mexicanos -dijo el Cónsul sonriente y quitándose las gafas oscuras-, sobre aquellos que tienen que mirar los frescos y recordar quien los ha pagado. B. el V.

"– Daqui, recebemos uma impressão que os turistas lá em cima não conseguem obter – disse Larruelle. – Estão demasiado perto. – Apontava com a raqueta de ténis. – O sombreado gradual das pinturas murais, conforme as olhamos, da direita para a esquerda, parece simbolizar, de certo modo, a gradual imposição da vontade dos conquistadores espanhóis aos índios. Está a ver o que eu quero dizer?

– Se estivesses a uma distância maior ainda, poderia simbolizar para ti a gradual imposição da amizade conquistadora dos Americanos, da esquerda para a direita, aos Mexicanos – replicou o Cônsul, com um sorriso e tirando os óculos escuros – que têm de olhar para os frescos e de se lembrar de quem os pagou." (D do V, cap. 7)

Palacio de Cortés

"From the field he was crossing he could see, on the trees on the slope of the hill, and beyond the dark castled shape of Cortez Palace, the slowly revolving Ferris wheel, already lit up, in the square of Quauhnahuac..." U. the V.
"...más allá de la silueta acastillada y sombría del palacio de cortés, la rueda de la fortuna que, ya iluminada, giraba lentamente en la plaza de Quauhnáhuac..." B. el V.

bella vista main entrance

"The tireless resilent voice that had just lobbed this singular remark over the Bella Vista bar windowsill into the square was, though its owner remained unseen, unmistakable and achingly familiar as the spacious flower-boxed balconied hotel itself, and as unreal, Yvonne thought." U. the V. "Yvonne pensó que la incansable voz que vibraba al lanzar hacia la plaza esta singular observación desde el antepecho de la ventana del bar Bella Vista, le era tan inequívoca y dolorosamente conocida -aunque su dueño permanecía invisible- como el amplio hotel de balcones floridos, e igualmente irreal." B. el V.

"La Suriana" cantina El farolito?

This is one of the oldest cantinas in Cuernavaca, a traditional one at just some blocks away from Laruelle's house. This place was built to be a cantina, so Lowry might have been there. A model for El Farolito? Esta es una de las cantinas más viejas de Cuernavaca, una verdadera cantina tradicional. El lugar fue construido para ser cantina, así es que es posible que Lowry haya estado alguna vez en ella. ¿Modelo para El Farolito?
Esta é uma das cantinas mais antigas de Cuernavaca, uma autêntica cantina tradicional. O lugar foi construído para ser uma cantina, pelo que é possível que Lowry tenha alguma vez estado nela. Modelo para El Farolito?

hotel bella vista

"How happy and pretty she looks, one would say. Probably she is going to meet her lover in the Bella Vista!" U. the V. Chapter 6.

¡Qué feliz y hermosa se ve! ¡Tal vez vaya a reunirse con su amante en el Bella Vista! B. el V. Capítulo 6.

This used to be the Hotel Bella vista, right downtown Cuernavaca, now it holds a series of stores. Este era el Hotel Bellavista justo en el centro de Cuernavaca, ahora está convertido en un "pasaje comercial."
Este era o Hotel Bella Vista, precisamente no centro de Cuernavaca, agora convertido numa "passagem comercial".

Sussex University

Paul Tiessen, the Canadian scholar and Laura Marcus -from Sussex University, lecturing at the Conference. June 27th 2007. The encounter was called Malcolm Lowry: 50 years on. Paul Tiessen, profesor canadiense y Laura Marcus de la universidad de Sussex ofreciendo una conferencia en el encuentro llamado: "Malcolm Lowry: 50 años de camino", celebrado el 27 de junio del 2007.
Paul Tiessen, professor canadiano, e Laura Marcus, da Universidade de Sussex, durante uma conferência no encontro "Malcolm Lowry: 50 anos de caminho", que teve lugar a 27 de Junho de 2007.

Downtown Brighton

This is a picture showing downtown Brighton, Sussex, England, summer 2007. The sea looks beautiful.
Esta es una foto del centro de Brighton, Sussex Inglaterra, tomada en el verano del 2007 con el mar al fondo. Ripe es una pequeña villa a unos 20 o 30km de ahí.
Fotografia do centro de Brighton, Sussex, Inglaterra, tirada no Verão de 2007, com o mar ao fundo. Ripe é uma pequena vila a uns 20 ou 30 km de distância.

life and letters: day of the dead

Life and Letters

Day of the Dead

Malcolm Lowry’s mysterious demise.

by D.T. Max December 17, 2007

After Lowry published “Under the Volcano,” in 1947, he was hailed as a successor to Joyce. His wife, Margerie, edited the book.

Malcolm Lowry died in his cottage in the village of Ripe, in Sussex, late at night on June 26, 1957, or early the next morning. He was forty-seven years old. His wife, Margerie, found his body upstairs, on the floor of their bedroom. An autopsy revealed that Lowry, an alcoholic, had been drunk, and the doctor who examined the body found that he had swallowed a large number of barbiturates and had inhaled some half-digested food from his stomach. An inquest was held, at which a police officer, the Lowrys’ landlady, and Margerie testified. The coroner ruled the fatality a “misadventure”—that is, an accident. Lowry had choked to death on his own vomit.

(to continue reading click in the link above)

ritual

I droped some mezcal in Lowry's tomb and drank some for myself. Some other scholars who were there had a shot too. I placed an Alas cigarrete over the tombstone and it consumed over completely, people were impressed by the fact that it seemed that Lowry was actually smoking it, in that very moment there was a thunder and it began a tender rain. I droped also the beer completely and some anis shots, I left the complete bottle for him to drank slowly. For us Mexicans it is completely normal to do this kind of things and offer the things the dead liked when alive but the English were very surprised to see me talking Lowry and giving him those presents... cultural matters.
Vertí un poco de mezcal sobre la tumba de Lowry y bebí un poco yo mismo, algunos otros académicos que estaban ahí bebieron también. Puse un cigarro Alas sobre la lápida y rápidamente se consumió todo, la gente se quedó impresionada al ver lo que parecía Malcolm Lowry fumando en ese preciso momento se escuchó un rayo y empezó una lluvia tenue. También vertí una cerveza oscura completa y un poco de anís del mono, dejé la botella completa para que la bebiera despacio. Para los mexicanos es completamente normal hacer este tipo de ofrendas a los muertos, las cosas que les gustaban en vida, pero los ingleses estaban muy sorprendidos de verme hablando con Lowry y darle presentes... cuestiones culturales.

Lowry's epitaph

Malcolm Lowry
Late of the Bowery
His prose was flowery
And often glowery
He lived, nightly, and drank, daily,
And died playing the ukelele.

Lowrianitems

During the lectures in Sussex University there was a small exhibition taken by Rebollo showing Ultramarine mezcal, Mexican Indio dark beer, Alas cigarretes, Anis del mono, ungüento 666 -a vapor rub- and some copies of the documentary "Malcolm Lowry in Mexico" by the Mexican director Oscar Menéndez. The beer and mezcal were droped in Lowry's grave.
Durante las conferencias en la Universidad de Sussex monté una pequeña exhibición con mezcal ultramarina, cerveza oscura indio, cigarros alas, anís del mono, ungüento 666 (un vaporub) y unas copias del documental Malcolm Lowry en México del director mexicano Oscar Menéndez. La cerveza y el mezcal fueron vertidos en la tumba.