Poetry Like Bread: Poets of the Political Imagination from Curbstone Press

Martin Espada (editor)

ISBN 10: 1880684748 / ISBN 13: 9781880684740

Published by Curbstone Books, 2000

Curbstone Books, 2000. New book, signed by editor, the poet Martin Espada, on the title page. Seller Inventory # ANTH-PO2000S

Synopsis:

 
Poetry Like Bread contains poems by nearly forty poets published by the Curbstone Press during the last twenty years. These poets are probably unlike any you have studied. Their engagement with everyday political and economic realities is as direct as a newspaper, their language as familiar as conversation. Their motto, taken from Roque Dalton for the title of the collection, is that "poetry, like bread, is for everyone."

These poems were not written to be studied. They were meant to be read. Or better yet, heard. Whole or in part. Alone or among friends and strangers. Reading and hearing them, you must respond and react. Some may inspire you, knock the wind out of you—make you indignant, sad, joyous, ashamed. Whether you drop this book, seek out others, join a social action group, write letters to your elected representatives, or write poems of your own, your reaction to the poems will be as political as the poems themselves.

Some of the subjects of these poems may be unfamiliar to you, or very familiar to you. Many relate stories from war-torn Central and South America, where U. S. policy has had a huge impact on people's lives. The rest are the voices of the voiceless here in the U.S: Latinos and African Americans, Vietnam veterans and Vietnamese, prison inmates, blue collar workers, migrant workers, women, the homeless. It's the poet's job to open up and validate these worlds to us. Our job, once roused, is to learn. To learn and to act.

About the Author:

MARTÍN ESPADA, born in Brooklyn in 1957, has been called the Latino poet of his generation. The author of fourteen collections of poetry, he is also an editor, essayist, and translator. He is currently a professor in the Department of English at the University of Massachusetts–Amherst.

Bibliographic Details

Title: Poetry Like Bread: Poets of the Political ...
Publisher: Curbstone Books
Publication Date: 2000
Binding: Soft cover
Condition: New
Signed: Signed by Author(s)