Fernando Pessoa

One of the main things that attracted me to applying for a Fulbright in Portugal was the poetry of Fernando Pessoa.  He is arguably the greatest poet of the 20th century writing in any language.  He happened to write in Portuguese and English and he developed a series of heteronyms (other names) under which he composed and published.  He gave entirely distinct personalities, biographies and writing styles to these "other names" and began experimenting with them at the age of 6, in the form of imaginary friends.  

In the past two days, we have been able to visit his tomb (at the Monastery in Belem)...

and his house in the very eclectic and lively neighborhood of Campo de Ourique.  I am rarely awestruck by such museum experiences, but seeing Pessoa's bedroom and some of his personal belongings, particularly his typewriter and journals, gave me goosebumps.  

 

It also provided a perfect opportunity to show Bishop and Zelle that journaling is not a place to pursue perfection, but rather to seek imaginative play with language and sketches.  Pessoa's presence is not hard to find in Lisbon.  He is a true literary hero and national treasure; we saw this statue walking between the Torre de Belem and the Berardo Museum...