The conference Andate mie parole. Antonio Porta poeta, intellettuale, editore (1935–2025) (“Go forth, my words. Antonio Porta, Poet, Intellectual and Publisher, 1935–2025”), organised by APICE, will take place at the University of Milan, at the premises in Via Conservatorio 7 (sala lauree), from 10 a.m. on Thursday, 11 December.
A live-streaming option will also be available.
Antonio Porta - the pen name of Leo Paolazzi (Vicenza, 1935 - Rome, 1989) - was a poet, novelist, playwright and literary critic, as well as a tireless publishing professional and cultural organiser. A leading figure of the Italian Neo-avant-garde (he was included in the anthology I Novissimi and was a member of Gruppo ’63), he later became - starting in the 1980s - a key voice in an original exploration of the “horizontal challenge of communication”, centred on what he termed the “choice of the voice”.
Organised by Stefano Ghidinelli and Roberta Cesana to mark the ninetieth anniversary of Porta’s birth, the conference will take as its starting point the extensive materials preserved in his archive - preparatory documents, drafts and project notes, together with a large body of correspondence and a library of around 4,500 volumes - in order to shed light on the many facets of his intellectual profile.
Alongside contributions dedicated to the collections from his early poetic phase (Federico Francucci), to his theatrical works (Giovanna Lo Monaco) and to his innovative verbo-visual experiments (Alessandro Moro), the programme will include a new reading of Balene delfini bambini (“Whales Dolphins Children”), the opening poem of the collection Invasioni (“Invasions”, 1980–1983) (Alessandro Terreni); an examination of his intense intellectual and personal relationship with his friend, the poet Giovanni Raboni (Luca Daino); and a critical overview of his editorial work (Roberta Cesana). The conference will conclude with a roundtable chaired by Paolo Giovannetti, in which four poets - Maria Pia Quintavalla and Laura Di Corcia, Stefano Raimondi and Tommaso Di Dio - will discuss the legacy of Antonio Porta.
