Raft of flame / Desirée Alvarez.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Alvarez, Desirée, author.

Contributor:

Laura Jan Meyerson Poetry Fund.

Language:

English

Genre:

Poetry.

Physical Description:

75 pages ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Oakland, California : Omnidawn Publishing, 2020.

Summary:

"Inspired by Lorca's passionate cante jondo or deep song, and the artist author's family history with Andalusian flamenco, Raft of Flame's poems weave together in a time-travelling epic that searches myth and nature for identity, personal and cultural. Imagining when Cortés lands in Mexico, the collection includes conversations between a conquistador and an Olmec sculpture, Frida Kahlo and Velazquez, Dorothy and Glinda the Good Witch. Navigating her Latina and European heritage through art made by artists of the ancient Americas and Spain, Alvarez maps intersections between personal and political history. Vivid lyrics interrogate the complexities of mixed race. Vital to its narrative is how nature continues to be trapped in the violence of colonization"-- Provided by publisher.

"Inspired by Lorca's passionate cante jondo or deep song, and the artist author's family history with Andalusian flamenco, Raft of Flame's poems weave together in a time-travelling epic that searches myth and nature for identity, personal and cultural. Imagining when Cort�es lands in Mexico, the collection includes conversations between a conquistador and an Olmec sculpture, Frida Kahlo and Velazquez, Dorothy and Glinda the Good Witch. Navigating her Latina and European heritage through art made by artists of the ancient Americas and Spain, Alvarez maps intersections between personal and political history. Vivid lyrics interrogate the complexities of mixed race. Vital to its narrative is how nature continues to be trapped in the violence of colonization"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Azure

Portrait of a Spanish Mexican Maid p. 14

Small Model of Mexican Ruin p. 15

Diary of the Ghost of a Mestiza p. 16

Trading Post p. 18

Un Tintero, Inkwell p. 19

Cante Dulce p. 20

Poem about how to have a Relationship with Civilization p. 21

Call & Response between Colonizer & Colonized p. 22

Cante without Borders p. 23

Color Colorado p. 24

Curiosity has more Syllables than Conquer p. 25

Dear Conquistador, we already invented the Wheel p. 27

Indigo, Indigoing, Indicone p. 28

Carmine

Noche Triste p. 32

Kafka's Diary p. 33

Of Red & White Clover p. 34

Daughter Poem Going Nowhere p. 35

Cante Madre, Mother Song p. 36

Ancient Song of the Edible Flower p. 37

Cante Bruja Witch Song p. 38

Cante Tortilla p. 39

Bird Sculpture as Whistle & Father p. 40

Yucatán p. 41

Prieto, Prieta p. 42

Aztec Clown Singing p. 43

Voice as Sculpture p. 44

Fábula p. 45

Icquinyaocaltzacca p. 46

Dstiny Relocated p. 47

Violet

Primero Sueño, First Dream: On Crossing p. 51

Stichomythia, A Studio Visit p. 53

La Menina p. 54

Querida p. 55

Theater of War p. 56

Letter from the Bruja to Cortés p. 58

Mythic Encounter p. 59

Diario p. 60

History of Shields p. 61

Lady of the Dry Branches p. 63

Madonna of El Museo De América p. 64

The Boy's Face in Toledo p. 65

Toll p. 66

Subtraction Tree p. 67

Cante Roto, Broken Down Singing p. 68

Adored p. 69

Latina Starbox p. 70

Fire-Taking p. 71

Sci-Fi Cante p. 72

Possessed p. 73

Hungry Singing, Cante Hambriento p. 74.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references.

Local Notes:

Acquired for the Penn Libraries with assistance from the Laura Jan Meyerson Poetry Fund.

ISBN:

9781632430816

1632430819

OCLC:

1113412915

Publisher Number:

99983910268