Giannina Braschi facts for kids

Giannina Braschi (born February 5, 1953) is a writer from Puerto Rico. She is known for her poetry, novels, and plays. Some of her most famous books are Empire of Dreams (1988), Yo-Yo Boing! (1998), United States of Banana (2011), and Putinoika (2024).

Braschi writes different kinds of literature and ideas about politics. She writes in Spanish, Spanglish (a mix of Spanish and English), and English. Her work combines poetry, stories about stories, plays, and political ideas. Her writings explore the journey of Hispanic immigrants. They also show the three main political choices for Puerto Rico: becoming independent, staying a colony, or becoming a U.S. state.

Early Life and Education

Giannina Braschi was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Her family was well-off and had Italian roots. When she was a teenager, she helped start the San Juan Children's Choir. She also worked as a fashion model and was a tennis champion. Her father, Euripides ("Pilo") Braschi, was also a tennis champion.

In the 1970s, Braschi studied literature and philosophy. She lived in cities like Madrid, Rome, Rouen, and London. Later, she moved to New York City. She says that older Spanish poets helped her start writing poetry when she lived in Madrid. These poets included Claudio Rodríguez and Vicente Aleixandre. She also credits Puerto Rican writer René Marqués as an early mentor.

Academic and Literary Career

Giannina Braschi earned her PhD in Hispanic Literatures in 1980. She then became a professor at several universities. These included Rutgers University and Colgate University. She has received many awards and fellowships for her work. These include honors from the National Endowment for the Arts and PEN. She also wrote a book about the poetry of Gustavo Adolfo Becquer. She wrote essays about famous writers like Cervantes and Federico García Lorca.

Braschi's writing is part of the Latino avant-garde movement. This means her work is new and experimental. Her writings are also seen as part of postcolonial and postmodern styles. She is considered a "revolutionary voice" in modern Latin American literature.

Writing in Spanish: Empire of Dreams

In the 1980s, Braschi wrote dramatic poetry in Spanish. She wrote these works in New York City. Her books were published in Barcelona, Spain. These included Asalto al tiempo (Assault on Time, 1980) and Empire of Dreams (1988). She was part of the Nuyorican movement, which was a group of Puerto Rican artists in New York.

New York City is a big part of her poetry. In a key moment in Empire of Dreams, shepherds take over Fifth Avenue during the Puerto Rican Day Parade. They ring the bells of St. Patrick's Cathedral. They also go to the top of the Empire State Building. Characters in her stories often change names, genders, and identities.

Writing in Spanglish: Yo-Yo Boing!

In 1998, Braschi published Yo-Yo Boing!. This was the first full-length novel written in Spanglish. The book explores what life is like for Hispanic people in cities, especially New York City. It shows how people move between different cultures and languages. The book was written when there were new calls for English-only laws. It also came out during times of corporate censorship.

Writing in English: United States of Banana

Braschi's book United States of Banana came out in 2011. It was her first book written completely in English. This book is a mix of comedy and tragedy about world politics. It starts with the collapse of the World Trade Center on 9/11. The book criticizes 21st-century capitalism and the global war on terror.

It talks about topics like immigration and mass incarceration. It also discusses money-related terrorism and unfair debt. The book celebrates foreign influences. Braschi has said she sees herself as connected to many famous European writers and artists.

English: Putinoika, a Modern Play

Braschi's play Putinoika was published in 2024. It is a tragicomedy that deals with chaos and problems during the Putin and Trump eras. This mixed-genre work is based on an ancient Greek play called Bacchae by Euripides. The story unfolds in three parts.

It includes many characters from history, myths, and current politics. These include Antigone, Electra, Dionysus, and Nancy Pelosi. There are also funny characters like the Muses of Bacchus. The play ends by thinking about creativity and creating a new type of art. Poets and scholars have praised the work.

Adaptations and Other Works

Giannina Braschi's writings have been used in many different ways. They have been adapted for TV comedy and chamber music. They have also been used in comic books and industrial design. Artist Michael Zansky has used Braschi's texts in his paintings. Michael Somoroff has made short films based on her works.

There is a play by Juan Pablo Felix and a special chair designed by Ian Stell named after Giannina. Puerto Rican composer Gabriel Bouche Caro has created music using her poems. Her books have been translated into English, Spanish, and Swedish.

Political Activism

Braschi supports Puerto Rico becoming independent. In her book United States of Banana, she declared Puerto Rico's independence. She has said that "Liberty is not an option — it is a human right." In the 1990s, she protested the United States Navy's bombing exercises in Vieques. She joined other famous people like Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and singers Danny Rivera.

In 2012, she spoke about "The New Censorship" at a festival. She criticized how big companies control information. In July 2019, Braschi led early marches in Puerto Rico. She joined large protests with singers Bad Bunny and Ricky Martin. These protests demanded the resignation of Governor Ricardo Rossello, which eventually happened.

Books by Giannina Braschi

• Putinoika, Brown Ink, Flowersong Press, 2024.
• United States of Banana, AmazonCrossing, Seattle, 2011.
• Yo-Yo Boing!, AmazonCrossing, Seattle, 2011.
• Empire of Dreams, AmazonCrossing, Seattle, 2011.
• Yo-Yo Boing!, Latin American Literary Review, Pittsburgh, 1998.
• Empire of Dreams (English translation by Tess O'Dwyer), Yale University Press, New Haven/London, 1994.
• El imperio de los sueños, Anthropos Editorial del hombre, Barcelona, 1988.
• La comedia profana, Anthropos Editorial del hombre, Barcelona, 1985.
• Asalto al tiempo, Ambitos Literarios, Barcelona, 1980.

Awards and Honors

• Angela Y. Davis Award, American Studies Association, 2024.
• Medalla Fray Luis de León de Poesía Iberoamericana (Ibero-American Poetry Medal), 2025.
• Enrique Anderson Imbert, North American Academy of the Spanish Language, 2022.
• Danforth Scholarship.
• El Diario La Prensa's Outstanding Women of 1998.
• Ford Foundation Fellowship.
• National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship.
• New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship.
• PEN American Center's Open Book Award.

See also

In Spanish: Giannina Braschi para niños

• Hysterical realism
• Puerto Rican literature
• American literature in Spanish
• American poetry
• Caribbean poetry