Go To
June is
African-American Music Appreciation
and
Audio Book
Month
June 24
Born June 24
Julia Kristeva (born June 24, 1941) – Bulgarian / French philosopher
Anita Desai (born June 24, 1937) – Indian novelist – Clear Light of Day
June 25
Born June 25
Ricky Gervais (born June 25, 1961) – U.K. comedan, screenwriter, producer
George Orwell (born June 25, 1903) – British novelist, essayist – 1984
Anthony Bourdain (born June 25, 1956) – U.S. food and travel writer – No Reservations
Yann Martel (born June 25, 1963) – Canadian novelist – Life of Pi
June 26
Born June 26
Yves Beauchemin (born June 26, 1941) – Canadian novelist – Le Matou / The Alley Cat (1981)
Noriaki Kubo (The Kubo) (born June 26, 1977) – Japanese manga artist
June 27
| Bonkim Chondra Chattopadhyay or Bankim Chandra Chatterjee (born June 27, 1838)Indian writer, poet – Vande Mataram (India’s national song) |
Read about Bankim Chandra Chatterjee here and here
I bow to thee, Mother,
richly-watered, richly-fruited,
cool with the winds of the south,
dark with the crops of the harvests,
The Mother!
Her nights rejoicing in the
glory of the moonlight,
her lands clothed beautifully with
her trees in flowering bloom,
sweet of laughter, sweet of speech,
The Mother, giver of boons,
giver of bliss!
– Translation of Vande Mataram by Aurobindo Ghosh in 1909.
Born June 27
Paul L. Dunbar (born June 27, 1872) – U.S. poet, short story writer, novelist – Lyrics of Lowly Life
Bob Keeshan (born June 27, 1927) – U.S. children’s TV personality and Creator of “Captain Kangaroo”
Helen Keller (born June 27, 1880) – U.S. author
June 28
| Mariko Nanba (南波真理子) born June 28, 1971 – Japanese music composer for video games – Sonic the Hedgehog series |  |
Read about Mariko Nanba here and here
Sonic the Hedgehog (2006) music track list
Listen to “The Soleanna Festival” composed by Mariko Nanba
and
Born June 28
Aimee Bender (born June 28, 1969) – U.S. novelist – The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake (2010)
Jean-Jacques Rousseau (born June 28, 1712) – Swiss-French philosopher
June 29
| Nawal Al Zoghbi born June 29, 1974 – Lebanese pop singer |
Read about Nawal Al Zoghbi here and here
Watch Mandam Alaik music video
Born June 29
Frédéric Dard (born June 29, 1921) – French novelist, crime fiction, San-Antonio series
Stokely Carmichael (Kwame Toure) (born June 29, 1941) – U.S. political activist
 |
José Emilio Pacheco born June 30, 1939 – Mexican poet, essayist, translator |
Read about José Emilio Pacheco here and here
Read Fernando Valls’ blog post about Pacheco
http://nalocos.blogspot.com/2009/12/jose-emilio-pacheco-cervantes.html
1927
by José Emilio Pacheco
1 TIENES SUERTE / You’re Lucky
¿Te bautizaron? Sí Nada de “sí”, responde “Sí señor”, no estás hablando con un indio como tú
“Are you baptized?”
“Yes.”
“Not ‘Yes,’ answer ‘Yes, sir,’– you’re not talking with another Indian.”
¿Hiciste tu primera comunión? Sí señor
“Did you make your first communion?”
“Yes, sir.”
¿Eres católico? Soy creyente, señor
“Are you Catholic?”
“I am a believer, sir.”
¿Qué quiere decir eso? Creo en Dios pero no voy a misa
“What do you mean by that?”
“I believe in God but I don’t go to Mass.”
Entonces no eres católico ¿Te casaste por la Iglesia? Cuando me casé ya estaban cerradas las iglesias, señor
“Then you aren’t Catholic. Are you married in the Church?”
“When I got married the doors to the churches were closed, sir.”
Ah, vives en pecado ¿Tienes hijos? El primero nacerá en octubre, señor
“Ah, you’re living in sin. Do you have children?”
“The first will be born in October, sir.”
¿No te avergüenzas ante él por ser un asesino? No soy un asesino, señor: si maté a alguien fue en combate y no supe su nombre ni vi su cara
“You’re not ashamed for him that you are a murderer?”
“I am not a murderer, sir: If I killed anyone, it was in combat and I did not know his name or his face.”
Después de todo los cristeros también matan ¿o no? ¡Insolente, ustedes asesinan, nosotros hacemos justicia y defendemos nuestra Santa Fe! Sí señor
“After all, the Cristeros kill too, is that it? Insolent bastard, you all are killers, and we will do justice and defend our holy faith!”
“Yes, sir.”
Bueno, pues tienes suerte, pelón: sólo por el niño que va a nacer te doy la oportunidad de arrepentirte Capitán, a este no me lo fusilan, nomás me le cortan la lengua y las orejas
Okay, you are lucky, boy. Only for the sake of your unborn child am I giving you the opportunity to repent. Captain, I’m not having this one shot, just cut off his tongue and ears.
[from Proceso, December 4, 1982]
Alta traición / High Treason
No amo mi patria. / I do not love my country.
Su fulgor abstracto / Its abstract splendor
es inasible. / is inaccessible.
Pero (aunque suene mal) / But (although it sounds bad)
daría la vida / I would give my life
por diez lugares suyos, / for ten of its places
cierta gente, / certain people
puertos, bosques de pinos, / seaports, pine forests
fortalezas, / fortresses
una ciudad deshecha, / a city in ruins,
gris, monstruosa, / gray, monstrous,
varias figuras de su historia, / several historical figures,
montañas / mountains
-y tres o cuatro ríos./ — and three or four rivers.
[More poems here]
Born June 30
David Frum (born June 30, 1960) – U.S. journalist, speechwriter
James Goldman (born June 30, 1927) – U.S. screenwriter and playwright – The Lion in Winter
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