News Release

San Francisco - Argentine author Jorge Luis Borges left an indelible mark on literature of the 20th century. Borges --The Time Machine/La Máquina del Tiempo, an exhibition opening Saturday, June 15 at the San Francisco Main Library's Skylight Gallery, presents an accessible and intimate look at Borges and his work.

Featuring over 180 items - including handwritten letters, manuscripts, portraits by famous photographers, family photographs, personal belongings, and other primary resources -- the exhibition documents all aspects of Borges' life and gives a glimpse into his creative process and the cultural and political climate of his time. Considered one of the greatest Spanish-language writers of the twentieth century, Borges (1899-1986) excelled as a short story writer, but was equally famous for his essays and poetry.

The touring exhibition is presented by the International Center of the San Francisco Public Library in association with Fundación San Telmo of Buenos Aires. The exhibition was co-curated (along with Argentine writer Alan Pauls) by Nicolás Helft, who will be traveling from Argentina to attend the June 15th exhibition opening. A reception will be held from 4:00 to 5:30pm in the Skylight Gallery on the sixth floor of the Main Library.

Prior to the reception, the San Francisco Public Library will host an Opening Program in the Main Library's Koret Auditorium from 2:00 to 3:30pm. The program will include a reading of Borges' work in English and Spanish by Professor Carlos Baron of San Francisco State University, followed by a discussion of the life and work of Borges by Dr. Donald Yates, Professor Emeritus of Spanish American Literature at Michigan State University.

Another related event, "Literary Tangos," will be held on Wednesday, June 19 from 6:00 to 7:30pm in the Koret Auditorium at the Main Library. The program includes an evening of Argentine tango dance with Chelsea Eng and Count Glover with readings of tango lyrics and literature by Terence Clark.

The San Francisco Public Library is the only West Coast venue for the Borges exhibit's current two-year tour in the United States. Previous venues for Borges - The Time Machine were The Miami-Dade Public Library, Chicago Public Library and The Grolier Club of New York.

The exhibition will be on view at the San Francisco Public Library throughout the summer until September 1, 2002. It then will travel to other prestigious venues including the Van Pelt Library at the University of Pennsylvania, the Houghton Library at Harvard University, and the George Peabody Library at The Johns Hopkins University.

This exhibition and related programs are supported, in part, by the Friends & Foundation of the San Francisco Public Library.

All exhibits and programs at the Library are free of charge. The Main Library's Skylight Gallery is open during regular Library hours: Sunday 12-5; Monday 10-6; Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday 9-8; and Saturday 10-6.

For more information, please call: (415) 557-4277.

Fundación San Telmo is a private foundation located in Buenos Aires. It hosts the Jorge Luis Borges Collection and Documentation Center, consisting of the largest existing collection of materials related to Borges' life and works: manuscripts, letters, books, periodicals, audio and video, and other documents. All the material has been digitized, catalogued and indexed. The Collection was created in 1984 and belongs to the Helft family. It is developed and curated by Nicolás Helft. The Collection is open to anyone for research or information.