What:
On the eve of National Hispanic Month, the U.S. Postal Service will pay tribute to Julia de Burgos, one of Puerto Rico’s most celebrated poets, at the Teatro Tapia, one of the oldest drama stage buildings in the U.S. An award-winning writer and journalist, Julia de Burgos takes her place among honorees in the Postal Service’s Literary Arts series and with 75 other Hispanic-themed stamps.

Who:
Jordan M. Small, Vice President, Northeast Area, U.S. Postal Service
Jorge Santini-Padilla, Mayor, San Juan, Puerto Rico
María Consuelo Sáez Burgos, Niece, Julia de Burgos
Byankah Sobá, Journalist
Maestro Riboldi, Musical Director of Youth Symphony Orchestra of San Juan
Youth Symphony Orchestra of San Juan Students, Julia de Burgos School of Carolina Puerto Rico

When:
Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2010, 11:00 a.m.

Where:
Teatro Tapia Calle Fortaleza at Plaza Colón
Old San Juan
San Juan, Puerto Rico 00901

Background:
Julia de Burgos was born on Feb. 17, 1914, in the town of Carolina, Puerto Rico. The eldest of 13 children, de Burgos grew up along the Río Grande de Loíza. She later wrote, “My childhood was all a poem in the river, and a river in the poem of my first dreams.” De Burgos’ first collection, Exact Poems to Myself, consisted of poems she wrote in 1934 and 1935. One of her most famous poems, “Río Grande de Loíza,” was a love song to the river of her childhood. Other poems address political themes such as equality and social justice. From 1946 until her death in New York City in 1953, de Burgos was plagued with health problems. Friends and family ensured her final resting place was her beloved Carolina, Puerto Rico.

The stamp features a portrait of Julia de Burgos created by artist Jody Hewgill.

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