Karmelo C. Iribarren, born in San Sebastián, Spain, worked—and wrote his poems—as a bartender in San Sebastián’s Old Town for over twenty years. He has published thirteen collections of poetry, most recently El escenario. | John R. Sesgo: “A former bartender and bar owner, Karmelo C. Iribarren writes poems that are simple, sharp-eyed and true. His unassuming lines seem written off the cuff, but are, in reality, expertly crafted: the ‘carpentry’ of his poems (as he puts it) hinges mostly on internal slant rhymes, ‘which the reader hears but rarely notices.’ Alongside his poetry, Karmelo has also published an ever-growing collection of aphorisms, one of which sums up perfectly the tone and appeal of his work: ‘It’s all been said a thousand times, and better. But not like this.’”
