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zbayardo's review against another edition
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.0
thebookishfeminist's review
5.0
"Resistencia: Poems of Protest and Revolution" is an absolutely incredible collection of poetry rooted in themes of resistance, justice, equity, and representation. There is a diverse selection of authors included in this anthology, and the poems are arranged in chronological order based on when the poet was born. There are poets from all over Central and South America, DR, Martinique, and French Guinea. The chronology helps bolster the narrative arc by providing some historical context, and also highlights the different events and challenges - and revolutions - happening contemporaneously in different parts of the world.
I hope we start seeing more and more collections like this presented in the poets' native languages (in this case, Spanish and French primarily, I believe) in addition to a translation (also, in this case, English). It will help allow own-voices readers to digest and reflect on these poems in a much more meaningful way, and that's very important. The messages of these poems are, for better or worse, timeless. The themes continue to be relevant and inspiring, and these works demonstrate that to love your country, your ancestors, your community, yourself is to resist forces, systems, and leaders whose main goal is to oppress, marginalize, and erase entire groups of people.
Pablo Neruda's (Chile) "I Explain Some Things/Explico algunas cosas," "I Was My Own Route/Yo misma fui mi ruta" by Julia de Burgos (Puerto Rico), and "Hegel in the Caribbean/Hegel aux Caraibes" by René Depestre (Haiti) were particular standouts for me, but really each of them can stand on its own as a powerful call to action and a reflection on the poet's own experiences, a processing of what their families and communities have endured, and what their futures will look like. Mark Eisner and Tina Escaja did a remarkable job compiling this collection - with works by so many different poets and writers, it is a true feat that they managed to curate and defend such a coherent, meaningful narrative. And, as many folx will be excited to hear, the introduction was written by Julia Alvarez!
This is and anthology I don't think anyone should miss. I know I cannot wait to add a physical copy to my bookshelves and will use it as conversation starters with my kids, friends, and family. I hope this work is taught to youth around the world as so many communities fight for equity, for justice, and for human rights.
Thank you immensely to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance e-copy of "Resistancia: Poems of Protest and Revolution."
I hope we start seeing more and more collections like this presented in the poets' native languages (in this case, Spanish and French primarily, I believe) in addition to a translation (also, in this case, English). It will help allow own-voices readers to digest and reflect on these poems in a much more meaningful way, and that's very important. The messages of these poems are, for better or worse, timeless. The themes continue to be relevant and inspiring, and these works demonstrate that to love your country, your ancestors, your community, yourself is to resist forces, systems, and leaders whose main goal is to oppress, marginalize, and erase entire groups of people.
Pablo Neruda's (Chile) "I Explain Some Things/Explico algunas cosas," "I Was My Own Route/Yo misma fui mi ruta" by Julia de Burgos (Puerto Rico), and "Hegel in the Caribbean/Hegel aux Caraibes" by René Depestre (Haiti) were particular standouts for me, but really each of them can stand on its own as a powerful call to action and a reflection on the poet's own experiences, a processing of what their families and communities have endured, and what their futures will look like. Mark Eisner and Tina Escaja did a remarkable job compiling this collection - with works by so many different poets and writers, it is a true feat that they managed to curate and defend such a coherent, meaningful narrative. And, as many folx will be excited to hear, the introduction was written by Julia Alvarez!
This is and anthology I don't think anyone should miss. I know I cannot wait to add a physical copy to my bookshelves and will use it as conversation starters with my kids, friends, and family. I hope this work is taught to youth around the world as so many communities fight for equity, for justice, and for human rights.
Thank you immensely to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance e-copy of "Resistancia: Poems of Protest and Revolution."
bookswhitme's review
5.0
There’s a poem for everything and everyone in this collection. I loved the fact that it was written in a bilingual format. I’ll admit that I don’t speak Spanish, but seeing the original text laid out after the translations was beautiful. I think my personal favorite was The Only Woman, but there are many gems that will touch your spirit.
taliha's review
5.0
Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Resistencia was my first introduction to Latin American poetry, and boy what an introduction. The anthology is filled page after page with voices that refuse to be silenced; they scream their truth and demand you pay attention when they talk about poverty and inequality, feminism, dictatorships, imperialism and more. I found the work incredibly moving; it’s definitely a heavy and emotional read.
The anthology is made up of a translated (to English) version of the poem followed by the original poem in Spanish. I thought the translations were wonderfully done, and some of the accompanying editors’ notes went a long way in providing further information. I can’t read Spanish, but I was grateful that the original version of the poem was included in the collection; I enjoyed reading some of these aloud to get a sense of the intended rhythm.
The collection features poets both old and new, some who are well-known and others who are lesser known, and it’s inclusive. It serves as the perfect first step into the world of Latin American poetry. The poems are just exquisite – I loved every single one of them! I’ve even discovered some poets who have become instant favourites thanks to this collection (René Depestre, Alfonsina Storni, Nancy Morejón and José Leonel Rugama).
Resistencia was my first introduction to Latin American poetry, and boy what an introduction. The anthology is filled page after page with voices that refuse to be silenced; they scream their truth and demand you pay attention when they talk about poverty and inequality, feminism, dictatorships, imperialism and more. I found the work incredibly moving; it’s definitely a heavy and emotional read.
The anthology is made up of a translated (to English) version of the poem followed by the original poem in Spanish. I thought the translations were wonderfully done, and some of the accompanying editors’ notes went a long way in providing further information. I can’t read Spanish, but I was grateful that the original version of the poem was included in the collection; I enjoyed reading some of these aloud to get a sense of the intended rhythm.
The collection features poets both old and new, some who are well-known and others who are lesser known, and it’s inclusive. It serves as the perfect first step into the world of Latin American poetry. The poems are just exquisite – I loved every single one of them! I’ve even discovered some poets who have become instant favourites thanks to this collection (René Depestre, Alfonsina Storni, Nancy Morejón and José Leonel Rugama).
kleonard's review
5.0
An excellent collection of poems, mostly originally in Spanish, on topics including feminism, politics, colonialism, and other important issues. I appreciated the translator's notes. Unfortunately, the formatting for Kindle is terrible and makes this almost impossible to read.
gromie0809's review
5.0
Power and beauty entwined in one with this fantastic book of poetry. Thank-you #netgalley for letting me read a digital copy. It was wonderful.
deedireads's review
5.0
All my reviews live at https://deedispeaking.com/reads/.
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.
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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