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Available
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Publication
A Shannon Ravenel Book (2004), 176 pages
Description
75 Poems by the Author of How the García Girls Lost Their Accents and In the Time of the Butterflies The works of this award-winning poet and novelist are rich with the language and influences of two cultures: those of the Dominican Republic of her childhood and the America of her youth and adulthood. They have shaped her writing just as they have shaped her life. In these seventy-five autobiographical poems, Alvarez's clear voice sings out in every line. Here, in the middle of her life, she looks back as a way of understanding and celebrating the woman she has become.
User reviews
LibraryThing member Hantsuki
Nothing is better for the average reader than a non-fiction book that reads like a novel except a collection of poetry that reads like prose, and this is just what that is. Alvarez makes her poems enjoyable for the average reader who may have a hard time appreciating poetry because of the
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difficulty of reading it. Not only that, but she manages to show us glimpses of her experiences growing up in two different cultures and ending each one with a lesson to think about. This is truly a must read for all. I'll definitely read this again. Alvarez has found herself a new fan! Show Less
LibraryThing member bluepigeon
This collection of poetry is a great addition to the American immigrant experience shelf, in particular the Spanish-speaking, Latin American immigrant experience shelf, perhaps right next to Ana Menendez's "In Cuba I was a German Shepherd." It is a collection of carefully distilled observations and
But do not be fooled, that's just a bit of what's in here. There is also a lot about being a writer, choosing words, working words, polishing and obsessing about words. Then what becomes interesting, at least to me, is that this particular collection contains poems that could have been written in paragraph format (some people refer to this as prose poetry, though there are different kinds, and this kind is certainly much much more prose than other prose poetry I have read) and you'd have a collection of half-page long diary entries or super short (flash) fiction. And I have not read all of Alvarez' poetry to know if she writes only like this or not, but this kind of prose poetry does not give me the impression that every word was obsessed over and every line was revised endlessly to capture that one particular way of saying something. So that can be amazing craft, or none at all, and in the end it does not matter. But it is certainly not the kind of poetry that you would have to read and re-read in amazement of how those words fit together to give you not a narrative but a feeling. This collection is much more about the narrative, some predictable, but very many surprisingly fresh. It is more about a few well-put words lingering as an afterthought once you are done with a poem. Apart from the immigrant experience and the writer's woes and joys, Alvarez explores family relations, marriage, nature, career woes (as can be applied to any career, not just writing,) and self-analysis.
I would recommend this collection to those who have trouble with poetry, those who think poetry does not make sense, those who claim "poetry is too hard." I would also recommend it to those who find solace in literature and poetry.
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autobiographical confessions of growing up and being Dominican-American. But do not be fooled, that's just a bit of what's in here. There is also a lot about being a writer, choosing words, working words, polishing and obsessing about words. Then what becomes interesting, at least to me, is that this particular collection contains poems that could have been written in paragraph format (some people refer to this as prose poetry, though there are different kinds, and this kind is certainly much much more prose than other prose poetry I have read) and you'd have a collection of half-page long diary entries or super short (flash) fiction. And I have not read all of Alvarez' poetry to know if she writes only like this or not, but this kind of prose poetry does not give me the impression that every word was obsessed over and every line was revised endlessly to capture that one particular way of saying something. So that can be amazing craft, or none at all, and in the end it does not matter. But it is certainly not the kind of poetry that you would have to read and re-read in amazement of how those words fit together to give you not a narrative but a feeling. This collection is much more about the narrative, some predictable, but very many surprisingly fresh. It is more about a few well-put words lingering as an afterthought once you are done with a poem. Apart from the immigrant experience and the writer's woes and joys, Alvarez explores family relations, marriage, nature, career woes (as can be applied to any career, not just writing,) and self-analysis.
I would recommend this collection to those who have trouble with poetry, those who think poetry does not make sense, those who claim "poetry is too hard." I would also recommend it to those who find solace in literature and poetry.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Cheryl_in_CC_NV
Wow. Accessible, but still subtle, not pap. Beautiful, but usually not pretty. I finished savoring each one, over the course of a couple of months, and immediately started right back in the beginning. Won't be releasing this in bookcrossing quite yet!
If you like this, read The House on Mango
If you like this, read The House on Mango
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Street."" Show Less
Language
Original language
English
Physical description
176 p.; 5.36 inches
ISBN
1565124065 / 9781565124066
UPC
019628724069