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WHEREAS, Daniel Borzutzky is a native of Squirrel Hill, a graduate of Taylor Allderdice High School and the University of Pittsburgh, and currently teaches at the Wilbur Wright College of the City Colleges of Chicago; and,
WHEREAS, Mr. Borzutzky is an accomplished poet who has published collections including The Book of Interfering Bodies and In the Murmurs of the Rotten Carcass Economy along with other works of both poetry and fiction; and,
WHEREAS, his most recent volume of poetry, The Performance of Becoming Human, draws on his Chilean heritage and his time living in Chicago to examine the cultural, historical, and social connections between the United States and Latin America; and,
WHEREAS, Mr. Borzutzky in his poetry addresses the vast body of issues that immigrants face, from political violence and hostile rhetoric to economic barriers of overdevelopment and privatization; and,
WHEREAS, The Performance of Becoming Human has been honored with the 2016 National Book Award for Poetry, making Mr. Borzutzky only the second Pittsburgh native to win the prize; and,
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NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Council of the City of Pittsburgh does hereby commend Pittsburgh native Daniel Borzutzky for receiving the prestigious National Book Award for Poetry and for using his voice to highlight the hardships of immigrants, refugees, and others in the United States; and,
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Council of the City of Pittsburgh does hereby declare January 24th, 2017 to be “Daniel Borzutzky Day” in the City of Pittsburgh.