About this Event
Juan Secaira (Ecuador, 1971) was diagnosed with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) in 2022, a disease considered the "cruelest in existence" according to the World Health Organization. In his talk, Secaira will approach his limited time without romanticization or stigma in the face of the disease through his poetry and painting. He will recount how the way he writes and lives has changed since the diagnosis, bearing the weight of knowing that the end could be near, and that tomorrow may bring more pain. Finally, he will focus on art as a valid activity in-and-of itself, free from "healing" or "therapeutic" labels.
Secaira states that he lives, paints, and writes with the painful company of ALS— not because of it—as he continues to deteriorate. "And I, despite the depression, the weakness, and the lack of resources, medicine, and certainty, am not yet tired."
This talk will be in Spanish with live English Interpretation
Please let us know if you require an accommodation in order to participate in this event. Accommodations may include live captioning, ASL interpreters, and/or captioned media and accessible documents from recorded events. At least 5 days in advance is recommended.
