On October 15, 2014, Naugatuck Valley Community College hosted “Julia de Burgos, de Puerto Rico al universe/ From Puerto Rico to the Universe: A Centennial Celebration” in the Playbox Theater, 750 Chase Parkway. The symposium and celebration honored the life and works of Julia de Burgos, a Puerto Rican poet, revolutionary and feminist, on the 100th anniversary of her birth.  Born in 1914, de Burgos is widely considered one of the greatest poets of Latin America.

The program began at noon, with lunch prepared by NVCC Hospitality Program students.  The keynote speaker, award-winning author Luisa Angelica Sherezada (Chiqui) Vicioso, presented her work, Julia de Burgos, la nuestra, a poetic biography about Julia de Burgos. In Santo Domingo, Vicioso was instrumental in honoring de Burgos’s legacy by serving on a committee which organized poetry readings, distributed a commemorative stamp, issued by the Dominican Postal Institute, and unveiled a sculpture of de Burgos.

NVCC President, Daisy Cocco De Filippis, Ph.D., commented in NVCC’s student newspaper, The Tamarack, that Vicioso’s book, in addition to honoring de Burgos’s artistry as a poet, is also “about her presentation of women as strong beings who defined themselves as opposed to being defined by the roles that society assigned to them.” “Find significance and meaning in what you do,” said De Filippis of the message she takes away from de Burgos’s poetry.

The day-long celebration continued through the evening with refreshments, music and poetry readings during Confluencia, a multicultural literary gathering where community members and lovers of literature and poetry were invited to participate in an “open mic,” and listen to published poets. 

Featured poets during the event included:

Marianela Medrano is a Dominican writer and professional counselor with a Ph.D. in psychology. She offers workshops and readings in Connecticut and around the country. She has published six poetry books including Diosas de la Yuca/Goddesses of the Yuca (2011) and Prietica (2013).

Nancy Mercado is an Assistant Editor and Board Member for Eco-Poetry.org. Mercado is hailed in Latino Leaders Magazine (Volume 7, No. 6) as "one of the most celebrated members of the Puerto Rican literary movement in the Big Apple, "and her writings are extensively anthologized. Visit www.pw.org/content/nancy_mercado for her full biography.

Urayoán Noel is an author and editor who is originally from San Juan, Puerto Rico,. He has written a number of poetry collections and his creative writing has appeared in numerous journals. His honors include fellowships from the Ford Foundation, the Bronx Council on the Arts, and New York University. Noel is an assistant professor at the State University of New York – Albany.

Sherezada Luisa Chiqui Vicioso is an essential poet, playwright and essayist of the Dominican Republic. She is currently Ambassador for Women, Children and Adolescent issues at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of her country. She is an award-winning author of 19 books, including the seminal poetic biography of the writer Julia de Burgos of Puerto Rico.