Lurdes C. da Silva, O Jornal
Published April 17, 2024
FALL RIVER – Despite having two poetry books published and a statue erected in his honor in his native city of Fall River, the late João Teixeira de Medeiros remains a bit of a hidden gem.
His poems primarily expressed the feelings of the emigrants and were often drawn on his own unique experience that saw him migrating twice.
Born in 1901, he lived around Pine Street for nine years before moving to Pedreira do Nordeste in São Miguel, Azores, with his family. In 1930, he moved back to the Spindle City. Although he had returned to his homeland, he always felt and lived like an immigrant.
With only a formal 3rd grade education, he used simple language in his writings, but his poems were so unique that Brown University published a book of his verse. He passed away in 1995, leaving two titles: “Do Tempo e de Mim” and “Ilha em Terra.”
On April 27, the first annual ‘Poesia: A Celebration of Portuguese Poetry, Culture, & Fall River Poets’ will not only highlight his poetry, but also the significant contributions that other Portuguese have made throughout history to local, national, and international arts and culture.
“The idea was to raise the visibility and engagement with Portuguese poetry and culture, because I don’t think that people would ordinarily associate the Portuguese with all their massive contributions in world literature, which are vast,” said Patti Rego, the executive director of Viva Fall River, which will co-present the event with Newport Poetry and the City of Fall River.
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