I'm Not Here to Give a Speech

“I’m Not Here to Give a Speech is a welcome reminder of his immense contributions to literature, as well as his skill in using literary fame to highlight the distinct culture and creative strength of Latin America.” —Christian Science Monitor

“Márquez speaks with the future in mind. . . . Language is his love.” —The Independent

“A set of speeches given over the course of his long literary career offers snapshots of the Colombian author’s uniquely eloquent humanitarian voice and vision. . . . Essential truths in the rare and generous voice of a maestro.” —Kirkus Reviews
 
“This neat collection sets out the revered Colombian novelist’s two key passions. . . . First is a quest to identify a Latin American spirit, and to celebrate and defend it. Second is an enduring belief in the power of the imagination. . . . [He was] as poetic and polemical in speaking as he was in writing.” —Art Review

“I’m Not Here to Give a Speech radiates a familiar humorous charm and robust sensuality. . . . The book is of a piece with the fiction, and equally haunting.” —The Irish Times
 
“These talks, so eloquently rendered by García Márquez’s longtime translator Grossman, capture the novelist’s passion, genius, and energetic way of telling a story with a clear moral.” —Publishers Weekly