We welcome Doctor in History Fernando Hidalgo Nistri! Author of several academic-level books and articles in Europe and South America.
Wordsmith Talent and Legacy
Dr. Fernando Hidalgo Nistry, to me is also affectionately known as “Tío” because he also happens to be my uncle. He is my mother’s first cousin, and one of the most complexly fascinating people I’ve ever met in my life. You’ll see why in a moment as you read my words today.
For as long as I can remember, my uncle Fernando was what is known as an exceedingly smart person. One of my earliest memories of him is when I was possibly four or five years old. He was pointing to the stars on the night-sky to the other grownups in attendance at a family event at his father’s state. I remember my uncle naming all the constellations and celestial bodies and going into exquisite detail about their orbit patterns and a lot of other facts.
As I was growing up, he was also the kind of uncle that would give you a pop quiz about all kinds of stuff that cultured people are supposed to know. For example, he would ask me “what’s the capital of Portugal?” I think we’ve got along well, because I was able to reply confidently “Lisbon.”
He would also be the kind of uncle who would teach us and expect us to understand a vernacular that was both descriptive and academic. I don’t know for certain if everybody understood the way his words always seemed to have a deeper connotation. His personality is very unique. Extremely professional, and down-two-Earth to the point he “tells it as he sees it.” Very uniquely balanced, and it works!
A worldly man, he enjoys traveling – but he calls the beautiful city of Seville in Spain his home. He constantly asks me to go visit him, and I should take him up on that. I went to Seville when my grandmother was alive, and she took us to Europe. It was an unforgettable trip, a lot has changed I’m sure, because I was a teenager at the time. We’ve tried to coincide, but when I was in Europe, he was somewhere else on the planet, yet we get to chat once in a while, and I always look forward to our conversations.
We have a lot in common with my uncle Fernando, he loves photography, and writing, and science, and history, and actually intellectually stimulating conversations… and for what I’ve heard, people also seen to find us very amusing to be around. I can tell you that my uncle is very fun to be around. His quick wit and personality would be disorienting in a good way, because it would bring a very interesting level of introspection to those around him.
Rading the book "La Republica del Sagrado Corazon" by Dr. Ferando Hidalgo Nistri
Purchase "La Republica del Sagrado Corazon" here (in Spanish)
When you get to read his books and articles, then it becomes evident the exceedingly intricate complexity of his mind. His books are written in his first language, which is Spanish – and if you’re a Spanish speaker (like me) – yes, you need to read them all. It will blow your mind, and you will learn a lot of new words. I know I have. As I said on the onset, his style is at the academic level of writing.
It is a joy to read, but you’re also learning so much from every sentence. And by this, I mean you might need to read it slowly because his wordsmith is so well crafted that if you do it as casual reading you will miss a lot of details in the process. My uncle speaks several languages, but for some reason English was not his favorite language.
I’ll be honest, can’t blame him because each language has a different level of intricacy when it comes to its vernacular, grammar, and how these factors can express complex ideas more succinctly, whilst being highly descriptive. It’s not a diss on the English language but think about it as different tools.
The language’s’ grammar is directly linked to the culture, and even a word-for-word translation might be widely different from what it was originally written. That is why there is a huge difference between “translation” and “interpretation.”
With his permission, I’ll do my best to try make an English version of his writing, for any non-Spanish speakers. I’ll caveat, that I might not be able to make it full justice to it. Much like when you translate the lyrics of a song from one language to another… sometimes they don’t have quite the effect as the original.
HLC Fernando Hidalgo Nistri
Bringing History Doctor Fernando Hidalgo Nistri to our Arts Network
When Half Life Crisis started the Arts Network, I mentioned that I wanted to showcase people and entities who have been highly influential in my life. My uncle Fernando is one of those people. This is my way to thank him for all that he’s inspired me in my life for so many years, and hope that his words will inspire our readers as well.
History, critical thinking, intellectual honesty, and art are so important in how we continue culturally evolving as civilized societies. We’ve lost a lot of that in the last several years. One of the best ways to learn from history is by listening to the historians who were there! And my uncle Fernando is one of those people who has tirelessly captured those important moments in our history.
But he is even more complex than a historian, he also has a phenomenal eye for photography and captures images that are documentaries of beauty some take for granted, yet it is part of our lives.
My uncle Fernando will also have his own landing page in our Half Life Crisis Arts Network section. The page will also be featuring his books, and how to acquire them. As well as many links to his articles and examples of his photography. I know you will find him as fascinating as I have. Welcome once again Tío Fernando to our Arts Network team! HLC