Resistencia

Poems of Protest and Revolution

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Pub Date Sep 15 2020 | Archive Date Aug 31 2020
Tin House | Tin House Books

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Description

 “To read these poems is to be reminded again and again of our true allegiance to each other.” —Julia Alvarez

With a powerful and poignant introduction from Julia Alvarez, Resistencia: Poems of Protest and Revolution is an extraordinary collection, rooted in a strong tradition of protest poetry and voiced by icons of the movement from the beginning of the 20th Century and by some of the most exciting voices today. Formally dexterous and emotionally wide-ranging in their work, the poets of Resistencia bring feminist, queer, indigenous, urban, and ecological themes to the fore alongside historically prominent protests against imperialism, dictatorships, and economic inequality. Within this momentous collection, poets representing every Latin American country grapple with identity, place, and belonging, resisting easy definitions to render a nuanced and complex portrait of language in rebellion.

Included in English translation alongside their original language, the poems in Resistencia are a testament to the art of translation as much as the act of resistance. An all-star team of translators, including US Poet Laureate emeritus Juan Felipe Herrera, along with young, emerging talent, have made many of the poems available for the first time to an English-speaking audience, broadening their reach and asking the reader to consider their messages in the context of our current moment: one where marginalized voices remain under constant threat, and speaking out is imperative.

Urgent, timely, and absolutely essential, these poets inspire us all to embrace our most fearless selves and unite against all forms of tyranny and oppression.

 “To read these poems is to be reminded again and again of our true allegiance to each other.” —Julia Alvarez

With a powerful and poignant introduction from Julia Alvarez, Resistencia: Poems of...


Advance Praise

“Depending upon your horse on the carousel, art and resistance, are created for their own sake, meaning that it’s not about a successful creation but the actual act of creating. Process over results is another form of 'L’arte pour L’arte.' Art at its best art not be about resistance yet it must resist something. In writing we call this tension. Resistencia resists being an easy Latinx experience. While many of these poems are about war and pain, it would be a disservice to characterize them solely as melancholic. Even surrounded in death and destruction, there is a vibrancy in the lines. There is joy. There is living. Beauty’s put forward bravely. In this anthology, Tina Escaja and Mark Eisner apply poems from not only trusted canonical voices but also from new and exciting poets who are writing in a myriad of languages. In poem after poem an effusive orgullo in an ancient American culture becomes the true overarching theme of this impressively encapsulating anthology.” - David Tomas Martinez


Resistencia could not be more timely. It is a stunning collection of revelations and witness. . . .Indispensable.” - Luis Alberto Urrea


“I read Resistencia: Poems of Protest and Revolution in one sitting, rather breathlessly, and the idea that chimed in my head for hours and days after was the idea of poems as pledges of allegiance. Each electric poem in this anthology asks—and, in its own way, answers—what we owe to one another, how we might survive these times physically and psychically, and what poems can do in the face of so much suffering. The poems in Resistencia do not soothe but shake us awake, and they call onus to do what they have done: to witness, to listen, to not only speak but sing.” - Maggie Smith


“This anthology is, as one of its poets declares, ‘an intimate liberation.’ Intimate as only poetry can be—an urgent, revealing exchange between poem and reader. A liberation because behind every beautiful image is fortifying and incandescent anger. Poetry is the most graceful of weapons, one that is freely given and never loses its power. Reading these poems, I felt as if this brilliant chorus of writers, living and departed, was delivering a call to action: ‘We have been here all along, fighting. Won’t you join us?’” - Frances de Pontes Peebles

“Depending upon your horse on the carousel, art and resistance, are created for their own sake, meaning that it’s not about a successful creation but the actual act of creating. Process over results...


Available Editions

EDITION Paperback
ISBN 9781951142070
PRICE $18.95 (USD)

Average rating from 33 members


Featured Reviews

I cannot remember the last time when a poem reduced me to tears but this collection had one such poem. Protest poetry from Latin America translated by some of the top translators and each poem is also printed in the original language it was translated from. Extensive notes on the poets, the translators make this an absolute must-have. Those poems are full of energy, resistance against injustice. It’s quite simply amazing and a huge credit to @tin_house for publishing such a brilliant collection. Top. Release in September. Highly recommend.

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Big thanks to Tin House for granting me an advanced review copy of this poetry collection on NetGalley. I loved it, and I think that I will be purchasing a finished copy when it comes out on September 15 (which is also, btw, the start of National Latinx Heritage Month).

This is an incredibly powerful collection. Allow me to list its merits: An introduction by Julia Alvarez. 54 incredible poems by incredible Latinx poets, “icons of the movement and some of the most exciting writers today.” All translated by equally talented people. The translated versions printed alongside the original Spanish. Comprehensive profiles of the poets and the translators, doing each of them justice.

Yes, you need this book.

If you couldn’t guess from all that, the poems themselves are just so good. They’re beautiful, moving, enraging, heartbreaking — I highlighted so many. There are layers to parse through, re-reads of this collection to be completed in the future. They range in subject matter from feminism, being queer, being Indigenous, the environment, identity, home, family, and so much more. I especially loved “The Earth Is a Satellite of the Moon,” but there are also so many more I could list out here.

Maybe I would list all 54.

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Thank you, NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this eArc.

This was an excellent book of poetry and I plan to purchase a copy for my class library. I also plan to share some of the poems with my poetry class. Often I read a book of poetry and it has a few good poems but this book really has a wealth of moving and strong poems, that I think will really appeal to students and lend themselves to being discussed and used with so many topics we discuss in literature. The author notes/ mini bios were great too and I think they add to the poems especially when sharing with students.
So many moving passages in this book and I really can't wait to share it with students! I highly recommend this book.

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An incredibly broad and timely collection of wonderful poetry with a lovely introduction from Julia Alvarez. The wealth of effort that went into this project is immense and visible, the various translators and the original authors of the poem all come together to show their resistance and its practice. Fantastic!

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This is a powerful collection of poems that force you to think about colonialism, protests, and our place in a global society. I appreciate that this anthology includes poems and perspectives from many different identities. I think the placement and flow of the poems was expertly done, and I applaud the editor. This is an anthology with so many gems and great moments, and it's a must-read!

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