Monday, April 25, 2011

Review Roundup- April 25, 2011

Sheryl Luna reviews Maceo Montoya's The Scoundrel and the Optimist
Maceo Montoya's "The Scoundrel and the Optimist" (Bilingual Press, $18 paper) is a coming-of-age novel about a smaller-than-average teenager named Edmund who escapes the wrath of his father's beatings on account of his small size. 
Although there are a number of interesting characters, the relationship between the father and son is where the novel develops its quick tempo. Montoya's uncanny sense of humor mingled with realism keeps readers smoothly moving through it. 
Full review can be found at the El Paso Times.


Rigoberto González reviews Here Lies Lalo: The Collected Poems of Abelardo Delgado
Though he was born in Chihuahua and spent his early years in El Paso, Abelardo "Lalo" Delgado (1930-2004), one of the pioneers of Chicano poetry, continues to be celebrated in Denver, where the mayor named him, posthumously, the city's first poet laureate. Yet his pride in community and passion for justice, constant themes in his writing, resonated with audiences across the country. 
That connection will once again be energized with the release of his collected poems, "Here Lies Lalo" (Arte Público Press, $19.95 paperback). 
Full review can be found at the El Paso Times.


Candice Amich reviews The Oxford Book of Latin American Poetry: A Bilingual Anthology
A multilingual anthology featuring more than 120 poets and many poems that have not previously been translated into English, The Oxford Book of Latin American Poetry is an essential resource for any English-language reader interested in broadening or deepening her knowledge of Latin American poetries. Alongside the traditionally canonized male poets writing in Spanish and Portuguese, editors Cecilia Vicuña and Ernesto Livon-Grosman present the voices and writings of poets who have often been excluded — despite their innovative compositions — from the canons of Latin American poetry: namely, the poor, the indigenous, and women. This unique selection advances a richer and more diverse mapping of the poetic territory than has previously been offered in any single edition of Latin American poetry in English. 
Full review can be found at Jacket 2.

2 comments:

Francisco Aragón said...

Thank you, Oscar. Thank you for providing this post in particular. I hope to see more like it...

OBermeo said...

Shout out appreciated, Francisco. I'll be on the lookout for more batches of reviews to keep Letras readers in the know on the solid scholarship happening in Latin@ Poetics.