Pedro Cuperman

Pedro Cuperman (1935 – July 12, 2016) was an Argentine poet, writer, professor, and founder of Point of Contact (POC), an initiative aimed at integrating multicultural and interdisciplinary arts with education. Cuperman spent four decades at Syracuse University, where he contributed significantly to the Spanish program and promoted international cultural exchanges. Despite his long tenure, his legacy remains marked by a personal controversy.
==Early Life and Education==
Pedro Cuperman was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1935 to Jewish parents who had emigrated from Eastern Europe. His upbringing combined religious education in Yeshiva with public schooling, fostering early bilingual proficiency, including mastery of Hebrew. His intellectual environment was shaped by his sister’s influence, Sara Elise Kuperman, which introduced him to classical works in art, philosophy, and literature.
Cuperman initially pursued medical studies but later transitioned to philosophy, earning degrees from the Jose Manuel Estrada Institute and the University of Buenos Aires. At the University of Buenos Aires, he studied under Jorge Luis Borges and became his favoured student. He was awarded a fellowship to study Mahayana Buddhism at Banaras Hindu University in India under T.R.V. Murti. During this period, he interacted with notable figures, including Mexican poet Octavio Paz.
== Academic and Literary Career==
Cuperman began his academic career in the United States, holding positions at the University of Connecticut and New York University before joining Syracuse University in 1976. He played a key role in enhancing the Spanish program and founded Point of Contact (POC), originally an arts journal that evolved into a broader multidisciplinary platform. POC encompasses a gallery, a poetry series, and educational initiatives. 
In 1981, The New York Times discussed Cuperman's participation in a traditional asado with friends in Upstate New York.
In collaboration with colleagues such as film professor Owen Shapiro, Cuperman advanced interdisciplinary approaches to teaching and creative projects. His scholarly work focused on semiotics, creative methodologies, and the philosophy of art. He also explored themes of identity, philosophy, and literature through his experimental writings and collaborative art projects. Notable works include For as Long as the Night Lasts (2011) and The River Woman (2013).
==Controversy==
Pedro Cuperman’s career has been associated with public scrutiny over his relationship with Irene Vilar, who later became his wife. Vilar, the granddaughter of Puerto Rican nationalist Lolita Lebrón, was a student at Syracuse University, where Cuperman was a professor. Their relationship reportedly began in 1985 when Vilar, then a second-year student at the age of 16, was enrolled in Cuperman’s literature class. At the time, Cuperman was 50 years old. The age of consent in New York during this period was 17, raising legal and ethical questions about their relationship.
Vilar enrolled at Syracuse University at age 15 and experienced significant emotional challenges during her first year, including two suicide attempts that led to hospitalization for psychiatric care. During this period, she came under Cuperman’s mentorship, which eventually developed into a romantic relationship while she was still his student.
Cuperman encouraged Vilar to write a book, A Message From God in the Atomic Age, which she worked on under his guidance. Their relationship evolved into a marriage in 1990, which lasted 11 years. In her memoirs, Vilar later characterized their relationship as marked by significant power imbalances. She has also described their marriage as restrictive, including Cuperman’s opposition to having children, which he framed in philosophical and feminist terms.
During their marriage, Vilar experienced multiple pregnancies followed by abortions, which she later referred to as a reflection of the complexities and dysfunctions in their relationship. In her writings, Vilar claimed that Cuperman sought relationships with younger women whom he considered more impressionable.
Despite these controversies, Cuperman continued to teach at Syracuse University without facing professional repercussions related to his relationship with Vilar.
==Memorial==
Pedro Roth, a Hungarian visual artist and longtime collaborator from Buenos Aires, created Cuperman’s headstone, marking the close of a career that intersected arts, literature, and academia.
==Works==
* Cuperman, Pedro (1988). American Baroque. Holly Solomon Gallery. ISBN 9781499491463.
* Cuperman, Pedro & Vilar, Irene (1996). Diario de viaje (Sea Journal). Scholastic Inc. ISBN 9780590937375.
* Cuperman, Pedro (2014). Todo lo que dure la noche. Ediciones Corregidor Saici y E. ISBN 9789500520751.
Category:1935 births
Category:2016 deaths
Category:Argentine poets
Category:Writers
Category:Professors
Category:Argentine people