Rolando Escardó

Cuban poet. Founder in his province of the Group Los Nuevos and the Group Yarabey. He is also remembered for his involvement in revolutionary activities underground.

He was born in Camagüey on March 7, 1925. He studied primary education in his native city, where he spent his early youth. His education was self-taught.

He founded the Group Los Nuevos in his province, which published a selection of verses by Martí (1953). In 1958 he founded the Group Yarabey. During his revolutionary practices underground, he was persecuted and suffered imprisonment. Later, in 1958, he had to leave the country and settle in Mérida, Yucatán. After the Triumph of the Revolution he returned to Cuba and was appointed lieutenant of the Rebel Army. Additionally, he was head of Agrarian Development Zone and organized charcoal worker cooperatives in the Ciénaga de Zapata. He practiced speleology. His poems appear in Ciclón and Lunes de Revolución.

When organizing the First National Meeting of Poets in 1960, which was to be held in Camagüey, to raise funds that would enable the purchase of a combat aircraft to defend the Cuban Revolution, an automobile accident ended his life. After his death, his poetry collection Jardín de piedras was published.

Active Bibliography

Jardín de piedras in Islas. Santa Clara, 3 (3): 147-154, May-Aug, 1961).
Libro de Rolando. Poetry. Prologue by Virgilio Piñera, La Habana, Eds. R. 1961.
Las Ráfagas. (Poems). Prologue by Samuel Feijóo. Santa Clara, Universidad Central de Las Villas, 1961.

Passive Bibliography

Arrufat, Antón. [Testimony]: "What Escardó Will Be", in Lunes de Revolución. Supplement of the newspaper Revolución. La Habana, (83): 13, Oct. 31, 1960.
_____________: "The Poetry of Escardó", in Lunes de Revolución. Supplement of the newspaper Revolución. La Habana, (l24): 9, Sep. 25, 1961.
Baragaño, José A.: "Testimonies, Rolando", in Lunes de Revolución, Supplement of the newspaper Revolución. La Habana, (83): 13, Oct. 31, 1960.
Casey Calvert: "Testimonies. Death of a Poet", in Lunes de Revolución. Supplement of the newspaper Revolución. La Habana, (83): 13, Oct. 31, 1960.
Fornet, Ambrosio: "Testimonies Image of Escardó", in Lunes de Revolución. Supplement of the newspaper Revolución. La Habana, (83): 14, Oct. 31, 1960.
García Marruz, Fina: "Escardó", in Islas. Santa Clara 3 (2): 174-181, Jan.-Apr., 1961.
Guillén, Nicolás: "Testimonies. Escardó", in Lunes de Revolución. Supplement of the newspaper Revolución. La Habana, (83): 14, Oct. 31, 1960.
_____________: "Homage to Escardó", in Lunes de Revolución. Supplement of the newspaper Revolución. La Habana, (83): Oct. 31, 1960.
_____________: "Homage to Rolando Escardó", in Islas. Santa Clara, 3 (2): 165-218, Jan.-Apr., 1961.
Hurtado, Óscar: "Testimonies. In Memoriam", in Lunes de Revolución. Supplement of the newspaper Revolución, La Habana, (83): 14, Oct. 31, 1960.
Iznaga, Alcides: "A Poet Has Died", in Islas. Santa Clara, 3 (2): 189-190, Jan.-Apr., 1961.
Lezama Lima, José: "Testimonies. Orphism of Escardó", in [[Lunes de Revolución]]. Supplement of the newspaper Revolución. La Habana, (83): 15, Oct. 31, 1960.
Navarro, Noel: "The Pages for Escardó", in [[Islas]]. Santa Clara, 3 (2): 184-186, Jan.-Apr., 1961.
Oraá, Pedro de: "Testimonies. A Damned One Blessed with Freedom: Tomás Escardó", in Lunes de Revolución. Supplement of the newspaper Revolución. La Habana, (83): 15, Oct. 31, 1960.
____________: "Rolando Escardó: Libro de Rolando", in [[Casa de las Américas]]. La Habana, 2 (9): 151-152, Nov.-Dec., 1961.
Piñera, Virgilio: "Homage", in Lunes de Revolución. Supplement of the newspaper Revolución. La Habana, (83): 2, Oct. 31, 1960.
Pita Rodríguez, Félix: "Escardó: the Collapse of a Myth", in [[El Caimán Barbudo]]. La Habana, 2nd epoch, (91): 7, Jun. 1975.
Suardíaz, Luis: "Escardó: Passion and Dreams", in Islas. Santa Clara, 3 (2): 181-183, Jan.-Apr., 1961.
Triana, José: "Rolando T. Escardó: Las Ráfagas", in Casa de las Américas. La Habana, 2 (8): 177-178, Sep.-Oct., 1961.