Poetry readings by Giannina Braschi on film and video.
The contemporary design collective Roi du Lac transformed the boutique Above Chinatown in NYC into a pop-up installation, unveiling their Putinoika Collection featuring blouses, scarves, and trays based on Giannina Braschi’s new book PUTINOIKA. There was a live performance by choreographer Shoko Tamai, founder of Ninja Ballet.
Enjoy these videos of poetry readings by Giannina Braschi, author of the new tragicomedy PUTINOIKA. Braschi reads a scene from the Bacchae in PUTINOIKA, entitled “Putinas of Putin”. Putinoika is multi-genre epic exploring the frenzy and plague in the era of Putin and Trump. Drawing inspiration from ancient Greek tragedies, PUTINOIKA unfolds in three parts: Palinode, Bacchae, and Putinoika. Amid a world overflowing with collusion, delusion, and pollution, hope not only stands resilient but also ascends to higher realms through exhilarating new literary forms, poetic expressions, and a renewed faith in creativity.
The event took place on September 8, 2023 as part of the program “Daughters of Latin America: An Anthology Reading” at the Christopher Lightfoot Walker Reading Series at The 92nd Street Y.
Hosted by Rosie Perez at the Unterberg Poetry Center.
With a stellar roster of poets, novelists, and playwrights, including Carmen Boullosa, Giannina Braschi, Sonia Guiñansaca, Sandra Guzmán, Jamaica Kincaid, Quiara Alegría Hudes, Yvette Modestin, Yolanda Arroyo Pizarro, Esmeralda Santiago, Elisabet Velasquez and others.
Putinas of Putin
PUTINOIKA by Giannina Braschi
(scene from PUTINOIKA)
Ivana: You know who we are. We’re in the news all the time. We are the putinas.
Floozy: I thought you were the Trumpinas.
Ivana: Trump has no power. He is a puppet of the putinas. Putin is the puppeteer. The mastermind. This goes way back. I am from the Soviet Bloc. Czechoslovakia. I was trained for this mission long ago. Since Perestroika, we were planning the Russian invasion. We were saying capitalism is traitorous, treacherous, treasonous to the core. We have to find the right traitor. He will be more interested in money than in nation. He will sell his country to the devil. Faust sold his soul for knowledge. Who would blame him for that? The apple of the tree was knowledge. Money is the apple of the greedy man. Since nations are already dead—you just have to see the little flags on the lapels of politicians to know how small they have become. Pendejo is the right man. We have to transform Perestroika into Putinoika. Angels in America into Putinas in America. His coaches will be putinas. Send the ski-bunny Ivana from Czechoslovakia to train Pendejo. If that doesn’t work, send the red sparrow Melania from Slovenia. He is gullible and vain. Exploit that. Feed him money. Money can buy him love and pussy. Give him blond Baltic babies. Give him hotels, malls, yachts, casinos. The treacherous capitalist pig will even sell his daughter. Give him all the money under the table. Launder the dirty deeds. This will be the ultimate revenge. Beat them at their own game. We are the heart of materialism. There is no one greedier than us. And we are communist to the core. No one is equal. Not everyone has the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Know happiness. Happiness comes with a swig of vodka and a pickle-chaser in the middle of winter—and with tenderness—and with love. Know happiness. We Russian bears know cold and happiness. We shine in life with red sparrows, putinas, and pickles tickling our noses. Witches we are—Masters and Margaritas. We know how to spot the greedy traitor who will sell his soul for money, but since he has no soul, he will sell his country. You are a muse. I’m a putina. To be a putina, you need to amuse and to be an agent of Putin…
Earlier Poetry Readings by Giannina Braschi
Poetry Reading by Giannina Braschi from United States of Banana on the September 11th terrorist attacks. Filmed by Berlin-based photographer Michael Somoroff.
A poetry reading from the section “Ground Zero” of the United States of Banana by Giannina Braschi at the Library of Congress National Book Festival in Washington, DC.
Interviews with Giannina Braschi
Jorge Neri of Cambio16 in Madrid interviews Giannina Braschi in Spanish.
“Giannina Braschi lanza United States of Banana – NTN24”. Spanish language television interview by Alfonso Diaz for Latin America broadcast.