One of the most expressive poets working in Brazil, Ruy Espinheira Filho brings together his lyrical creations in * The Invention of Poetry* . A member of the Bahia Academy of Letters, Ruy was elected one of Brazil's twenty most important contemporary poets.
Considered by Carlos Drummond de Andrade to be an author of "concentrated poetry of subtle expression," Ruy Espinheira Filho is acclaimed by critics and winner of the country's top literary awards. In * The Invention of Poetry* , the Bahian poet brings together his lyrical works from 2019 to 2022. Divided into three parts, the poems reveal pains that still linger in the past, returning to feelings and questions that linger in the present. A book filled with memories.
In the first part, Ruy explores regional themes and spaces with the same ease with which he dwells on those of a universal nature. In the second part, he references the darkest days of the pandemic. He concludes with a tribute to the illustrious Machado de Assis and Graciliano Ramos, drawing on potential connections established with their works.
The invention of poetry presents a lyrical self who is impressed and reflective about the passage of time. With an intimate character and a dexterity for revealing details, Ruy Espinheira Filho brilliantly highlights how human nature manifests itself in the most diverse times and situations.
"A poet of dreams and utopia, Ruy Espinheira Filho writes poetry from the heart. It's no coincidence that the most frequently repeated word in The Invention of Poetry is precisely dream, in both the singular and plural. This is how, poem after poem, book after book, Ruy Espinheira Filho establishes himself as one of the all-time greats of Brazilian poetry." - Ricardo Vieira Lima
“He is, par excellence, the poet of memory in contemporary Brazilian poetry, a theme explored at the same time with sharpness of thought and with the necessary lyrical transmutation.” - Alexei Bueno
