Nelson Vallejo-Gómez

Who was Blanca Verale, what was she like? If we had asked Varela about her professional and/or vital "journey" (curriculum vitae), the answer could be in those verses of hers, where the intimate, the private and the public spheres of life are intertwined: “Let us say that you won the race / and that the prize / was another race / that you did not drink the wine of victory / but your own salt / that you never heard cheers / but only the barking of dogs / and that your shadow / your own shadow / was your only / unfair competitor”, Poem from the collection of poems Canto villano (1972-1978). This conference by Nelson Vallejo Gomez proposes a journey through her life and her work to assess what is gained by reading and rereading Varela's poetry.