Lake County Gazette

Lois Baer Barr, Associate Professor of Spanish Emerita at Lake Forest College, recently saw her Spanish-language poem “Ay, Federico, te mereces más” (“Oh, Federico, you deserve more”) published in the Mexican webzine Paratextos/Poesía. The poem serves as a tribute to the Spanish poet Federico García Lorca and reflects on themes such as memory, language, and artistic legacy.

In her work, Barr addresses Lorca directly and comments on how his poetry is interpreted today. She recalls introducing his verses to her students: “I don’t regret making them suffer memorizing your verses,” she writes. Barr adds that she hopes her students “still remember you a little when they hear your name.” The poem concludes with a personal reflection: “Now that I have forty more years of life than you, the spurs of your riders pursue me… soon the dance will end.”

Paratextos/Poesía is a nonprofit digital project focused on sharing both contemporary and classic poetry with Spanish-speaking audiences.

In addition to this publication, four poems by Barr were included in a multimedia art exhibit titled Violins of Hope. This exhibit features instruments played during the Holocaust and was recently displayed at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee art gallery. It is scheduled to travel to the Milwaukee Jewish Community Center in November 2025.

Barr currently volunteers as a literacy tutor for refugees in Chicago and studies flamenco dance in Pilsen with instructor Wendy Clinard.