Like a New Sun : Six Contemporary Mexican Poets Writing in Indigenous Languages

Like A New Sun showcases the vibrant contemporary poetry being written in indigenous Mexican languages. Featuring poets writing in Huasteca, Nahuatl, Isthmus Zapotec, Mazatec, Tsotsil, Yucatec Maya, and Zoque, this groundbreaking anthology introduces readers to six of the most dynamic indigenous Mexican poets writing today. Co-edited by Isthmus Zapotec poet Víctor Terán and translator David Shook, this groundbreaking anthology introduces six indigenous Mexican poets — three women and three men — each writing in a different language. Well-established names like Juan Gregorio Regino (Mazatec) appear alongside exciting new voices like Mikeas Sánchez (Zoque). Each poet’s work is contextualized and introduced by its translator. Poets include Víctor Terán (Isthmus Zapotec), Mikeas Sánchez (Zoque), Juan Gregorio Regino (Mazatec), Juan Hernández (Huastecan Nahuatl), Briceida Cuevas Cob (Yucatec Maya), and Enriqueta Lunez (Tsotsil). Translators include Adam Coon, Jonathan Harrington, Jerome Rothenberg, David Shook, Clare Sullivan, and Eliot Weinberger.

David Shook is a poet and writer in Los Angeles, where he edits Molossus and Phoneme Media. His debut collection Our Obsidian Tongues is available from Eyewear Publishing.

Víctor Terán is the preeminent poet of the Isthmus Zapotec language. His trilingual selected poems, The Spines of Love, is available from Restless Books. His work has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize and appeared in Poetry. In 2010 he toured the UK. He lives in Juchitán, Mexico.

Eliot Weinberger was born and still lives in New York City. He is Octavio Paz' translator, and has also translated a wide range of international poets including Bei Dao and the Mazatec-language poet Juan Gregorio. He has won the NBCC Award for his anthology of Borges' nonfiction, and is the only writer to have been bestowed with the Mexican Government's Order of the Aztec Eagle.