On Tuesday, March 19, Avid Bookshop hosted a Book Party and Poetry Reading by University of Georgia Associate Professor of English and Latin American Studies Éric Morales-Franceschini, in honor of his latest book “Syndrome” at the Lab at Ciné. The event lasted only about one hour in the evening, with most of the time being dedicated to the readings of eight of his poems.
For each of his poems, the author provided some explanation for the meaning behind it, along with a projected image that related to the poem, making some more abstract readings clearer to the audience.
Morales-Franceschini’s book Syndrome refers to the “Puerto Rican Syndrome,” a term used in medical literature in the 60s and 70s. Through the readings of the poems, the author navigates through both his life as a Puerto Rican living in America, but also the unseen experiences of Puerto Ricans as a whole.
Morales-Franceschini drew attention to the concept of Puerto Rico as an “unincorporated territory,” in that Puerto Ricans are American citizens but have no representation in Congress or the ability to vote for the US president.
“But there is something we can most certainly do. We can serve in the armed forces,” Morales-Fanceschini said. “It’s not just that there’s fewer opportunities for people on the island economically, it’s that I think that we properly understood that we feel like we owe Uncle Sam something.”
The chosen poems for the readings captured the essence of the collection in his book, exposing unseen dualities that Puerto Ricans suffer. Morales-Franceschini noted how Americans today wish well for Puerto Ricans after Hurricane Maria, but fail to acknowledge years of Puerto Rican history that has led its residents to flee the island.
“There’s the problem. It’s as if there wasn’t already a mass exodus of people coming for a decade, being forced out structurally. It’s as if Maria, not vulture funds, not progressive taxation, not divestments from public assets and social expenditures. Maria, and not those things, was to blame for all the unpayable debt, 40% poverty rate, food insecurity and superfund sites,” Morales-Franceschini said.
With such insights, the audience audibly reacted, clapped, and teared up. The few poems captivated the audience and brought about a much bigger issue about how Puerto Rican relationships with the US have impacted the identity of its people.
“It’s very important for Americans to know the Puerto Rican Syndrome and what have been the colonial relationships with the US and how they have impacted a whole community, a whole island nation that is still fighting to have an identity of sorts,” Sharina Maillo-Pozo, an assistant professor in the Spanish and Latinx Department of Romance Languages at UGA, and a colleague of Morales-Franceschini said.
Morales-Franceschini did a wonderful job of making the audience immerse themselves into the poems and feel deep emotions as he read them.
“I think with poems like this, especially when they’re read out loud, I like to go home and digest them more, because I feel like the emotions are hitting me faster than the words are,” Mikayla Connolly, a senior English major and music business student said.
After the readings, Morales-Franceschini stayed to sign the books and chat with the attendees, leaving many emotional and touched.
