### “Hotel del Universo”: An Existential Epic by Jorge Ortega
On December 2nd, renowned poet Jorge Ortega took the stage at the Festival of Poetry during the International Book Fair in Guadalajara. Ortega, originally from Mexicali, Baja California, gave a captivating reading from his various works. Included in his performance were significant pieces from his poetry collections such as “Estado del Tiempo” (2005), “Devoción por la Piedra” (2011), “Guía de Forasteros” (2014), a bilingual Italian-Spanish anthology “Luce sotto le Pietre” (2020), and his latest, “Hotel del Universo” (2023), along with some unpublished poems.
Ortega was introduced by fellow poet Carmen Villoro, who provided insightful commentary on his work. She described “Hotel del Universo” as a book that deserves to be read as an existential epic—an extraordinary journey. This latest collection by Ortega, which secured him the prestigious National Literature Prize “Gilberto Owen” in 2022, was published in 2023 by Mantis Editores, CETYS University, and the Sinaloa Institute of Culture.
### Expanding Horizons in Poetry
Carmen Villoro characterized Ortega’s poems as a voyage through language itself, akin to the exploratory journeys undertaken by figures like Humboldt and Darwin. In “Hotel del Universo,” Ortega embarks on an exploration through diverse and unknown terrains, a metaphorical expedition that captures both captivating and painful beauty. The poems navigate the human experience, compelling readers to internalize the universe as a hotel—a temporary, often unpredictable dwelling.
Villoro emphasized the book’s thematic depth, drawing parallels to the life of French poet Arthur Rimbaud, whose adventurous spirit and intense life journey resonate throughout Ortega’s narrative. While Rimbaud is not directly mentioned in the collection, his essence—the unyielding pursuit of new experiences and the poignant exploration of boundaries—permeates Ortega’s work, creating a vivid tapestry of existential reflection.
### Additional Insights
**Arthur Rimbaud and the Poetry of Motion**
Arthur Rimbaud’s life was characterized by a constant search for new horizons, much like the themes explored in “Hotel del Universo.” His journey across countries, from Paris during the Franco-Prussian War to England, Java, and eventually Ethiopia, mirrors the restless spirit found within Ortega’s poetry. Rimbaud abandoned traditional confines, both geographically and literarily, a trait that inspires the timeless nature of Ortega’s epistolary poetry journey. His final days in a Marseille hospital, intertwined with the majestic toils of his previous travels, echo in the narrative of an ever-present odyssey within “Hotel del Universo.”
In “Hotel del Universo,” Jorge Ortega challenges traditional poetry by embracing a vast flow of imagery and eloquent discourse. Carmen Villoro’s interpretation presents the book as a metaphorical theater where the human drama unfolds, inviting readers to reserve a symbolic room and ponder the limitless star-studded sky reflected in its pages.
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