Sometimes the Shuttering of a Café is More Than Just a Business Closing by Joseph Levendusky The endearing little red building on Bow Street Each succeeding generation of Harvard Square roustabouts claims to have known the real, authentic Square. It begins, if you peruse Mo Lotman’s excellent Harvard Square: An Illustrated History, with John Updike musing about his Square in 1950. In 1972, the Harvard Crimson lamented, “While the Square is no longer unique, it still remains unusual, if only because it orients itself towards a young, semi-intellectual audience.” But such ritual whinging may no longer be a mere generational gripe. If you haven’t heard the news: Harvard Square ain’t what it used to be. The Square has been,…
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Josefina Yanguas
Josefina Yanguas (1916-2007) was the founder and proprietor of Café Pamplona in Harvard Square. Café Pamplona was in business from 1959-2020. Josefina with her brother soon after entering the United States in 1949 (Courtesy Carol Fippin) With the Alonso family. Josefina was their au pair. (Courtesy Carol Fippin) Portrait of Josefina by Patsy Hoffman (Courtesy Carol Fippin) Josefina at Café Pamplona with her signature geraniums (Courtesy Carol Fippin) Josefina at Carol Fippin’s House for Thanksgiving Josefina at her 90th Birthday Celebration at Café Pamplona (Courtesy Carol Fippin)
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ODE TO THE CAFÉ PAMPLONA
ODE TO THE CAFÉ PAMPLONA Womb of friends, conversations, books, Marrow, cellar of human moods, Door into feeling, Iberian light slice, I come to celebrate your seasons. In June church shade Or under September stars, Reading Cervantes in the sun, Unamuno by the rushing Dudley bus, Machado or Lorca near your winter stove, I have knit my soul to Spain here. Speak to me your Shaly consonants and grassy vowels, Conciones earth, bright in your passionate home tongue. When your steam machine roars I hear bulls thunder through holy Pamplona. Your caffeine music kindles my veins. And your waiters-wonderful! Generations, torrents, encyclopedias Of waiters have rivered my years. So I give…