Poet Pedro Pietri Died a Year Ago Today
WNYC News | Jul 12, 2010
New York, NY —
Today marks the one year anniversary of the death of New York City poet Pedro Pietri. In the 1970's, he was a major voice in the downtown poetry scene and helped found the Nuyorican Poets Cafe.
His most famous poem is "Puerto Rican Obituary."
Pietri died on an airplane traveling to New York City from Mexico, where he had been receiving treatment for stomach cancer. One of his closest friends, Jesus Melendez was with him when he died. Speaking in the Storycorps booth in Grand Central Terminal, Melendez recounted the poet's final moments.
