Draft:Stephen D'Avendagno
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Stephen D'Avendagno | |
|---|---|
| Born | Unknown |
| Nationality | Colombia, Uruguay |
| Occupation(s) | Poet, philosopher |
| Years active | 2000-present |
Stephen D'Avendagno is an anonymous writer of Colombian-Uruguayan origin, whose identity, nationality, and exact date of birth remain unknown. His work, shrouded in mystery, has captured the interest of critics and readers, standing out for its introspective and enigmatic style. It is speculated that his name could be a pseudonym.
Biographical review
[edit]Little is known about D'Avendagno's life, except that his writings began circulating on social media and in independent literary spaces starting in 2000. It has been reported that some of his texts have been found in cafés in Bogotá, Montevideo, and at the Casa de Poesía Silva, often alongside the writings of another anonymous author, William McCormick. His work has been translated into English and Japanese.
There are no records of interviews, public appearances, or concrete biographical information. Despite his discretion, he has shared some of his poems through videos on social media, where his voice accompanies his writings without revealing his identity. He has never expressed any intention of appearing in public under any circumstances, which has further fueled the cult-like aura surrounding his figure and work.
Literary work
[edit]D'Avendagno's works explore themes such as introspection, melancholy, and the boundaries between reality and fiction. His style has been described as enigmatic and profound, with a poetic approach that evokes existentialist literature and magical realism.
Between Sleep and Wakefulness (2021)
[edit]In this poetry collection, D’Avendagno aligns himself with a lyrical tradition imbued with a strong existentialist and melancholic tone, featuring a poetic voice that oscillates between introspection and observation of the surrounding world. His verses often reflect on solitude, lost love, death, and memory, employing a direct yet evocative language filled with sensory and emotional imagery that conjures a deep sense of nostalgia.
The structure of his poems varies between short verses and long verses with enjambments, which gives fluidity to the reading and creates a reflective rhythm. The repetition of certain images and symbols (the moon, the night, the rain, the void, black eyes) reinforces the thematic cohesion of the poetry collection.
The author also plays with intertextuality, as seen in "In Honor of Borges", a poem that clearly alludes to The Aleph by Jorge Luis Borges, and in "In the Darkness", which evokes Carlos Gardel and his tango "Volver". These literary and cultural references enrich the text and provide clues about the poet's influences.
Some poems that have caught the readers' attention are:
- Cry of a Wolf: This poem is a metaphor for isolation and despair. The image of the lone wolf walking through the forest, bearing its battle wound and a melancholic gaze, reinforces the speaker's sense of alienation. The repetition of the first verse at the end of the poem ("I extend my gaze into the void, the void transforms into the sky") emphasizes the circularity of their existential anguish. The poem is visually striking, effectively using nature as a reflection of the poetic subject’s emotional state. The moon, described as a "disc of fire" at the end, symbolizes both a final hope and an inevitable fate, reinforcing the idea of individual insignificance in the face of the universe's vastness.
- Zero: This poem explores the loss of love and the transformation of everyday life following the absence of the beloved. The image of the silent city and the streetlights "shivering with her steps" reinforce the speaker's emotional emptiness. The poem has a minimalist and fragmented structure, which contributes to the feeling of loneliness and detachment. The final verse, "But she is no longer here, and a cigarette replaces her in my hand," creates a stark contrast between what once was and what remains, highlighting the banality of the present compared to the intensity of the past.
- And I Looked at You: This poem is an example of the exploration of love that D’Avendagno carries out throughout his work. The narration of a romantic encounter and the deep connection through the gaze emphasize the importance of non-verbal intimacy. The structure of the poem, with open-ended questions in the final verses ("What do I expect, perhaps, submerged in your black eyes?"), leaves a lingering sense of uncertainty and unfulfilled longing. The use of the "siren" symbol as a metaphor for an unattainable love reinforces the idea of fatal and inevitable attraction.
- Farewell: This poem explores the theme of death with a blend of resignation and nostalgia. The story of Andrés Caicedo, who bids farewell with a smile before his death at the age of 25, speaks to the fleeting nature of life and the impossibility of foreseeing fate. The poem stands out for its intimate and narrative tone, concluding in a way that does not dramatize death but presents it with an unsettling calm: "and, with a restless smile, he vanished into the horizon along with the sun."
- Void: One of the most existentialist poems in the book, where the lyrical speaker describes a night of solitude marked by dark thoughts and unanswered questions. The image of the unanswered call and the rain covering the neighborhood reinforces the feeling of isolation. The poem plays with the idea of the temptation of the abyss ("It would be easy to jump, to throw myself into that dark place from which no man has returned"), but leaves the resolution open. The fragmented structure and the repetition of "Little by little" suggest a progressive mental deterioration.
For You: My Friend with a Broken Soul (2024)
[edit]The poetry collection For You, Friend with a Broken Soul is a deeply introspective work that explores sadness, existential emptiness, and the fragility of the human being in the face of life. Unlike Between Sleep and Wakefulness, where nostalgia and melancholy intertwined with images of love and memory, this book seems to be aimed at those experiencing intense emotional suffering.
From the prologue, the author makes it clear that this is not a book for just any moment, but a refuge for those who feel the weight of existence. The structure is fragmentary, with poems that sometimes resemble aphorisms or confessions, reinforcing the feeling of a personal diary addressed to an unknown reader, yet one who shares the same pain.
The central themes are death, suicide, urban alienation, memory, and poetry as a form of resistance or catharsis. The poetic voice moves between resignation and sarcasm, between despair and flashes of lucidity. It is a poetry collection that, despite its dark tone, is profoundly human.
The Sin of the Thirdborn (2025)
[edit]The Clouds (2025)
[edit]- D'Avendagno, Stephen (2021). Entre el sueño y la vigilia (1º edición original ed.). Bogotá: Penguin Random House. p. 19. ISBN 978-3-16-148410-0.