Robert Lima, a poet, literary critic, bibliographer, playwright, editor, biographer and translator, has published a new book, ¡Some People! Anecdotes, Images and Letters of Persons of Interest.
A former English professor at Penn State, Lima has written books on Spanish literature, comparative literature, and has also translated poetry.
When he retired in 2002, Lima decided to recheck his memory to figure out projects he had been forming in his head since the 1960s, including this book. ¡Some People! Anecdotes, Images and Letters of Persons of Interest is a book on the many inspiring and important people he has encountered in his life. The most meaningful one was Mother Teresa.
“It’s the only occasion I’ve had in my life where I met a saint. It was a wonderful encounter,” Lima says. “It was not a very long involved meeting; it was just kind of a fast thing. She was not well and we were at this international conference in Italy. They took her to a home run by local nuns and I arranged for a couple of us at the conference to see her.”
He said because she was at a convent, he was not allowed inside, so they wheeled her to a window with bars and they had to talk to her from outside.
Lima gives much of his credit to a mentor at NYU, who pushed Lima to write and eventually became his first publisher. Lima says his mentor completely changed his life path when he encouraged him to pursue teaching, something Lima had never even considered.
“I had never taught anything in my life,” he says, “but you have to find your niche in life.”
Currently, Lima is writing his family memoir which includes the history of his family on both sides all the way up to him and his life story.
“At the moment, that’s my favorite project,” he said, “because it’s ongoing and it’s my legacy to leave to my kids.”
¡Some People! Anecdotes, Images and Letters of Persons of Interest is currently available on Amazon for $27.50.
Many of Lima’s works can be found at Webster’s Bookstore, 133 E. Beaver Ave. in State College.
