The Word In Color by Pablo Miguel Martínez

click link to read whole article:

"Hollander, in a review published in The New York Times Book Review, wrote about “cultures without literatures — West African, Mexican, and Central American.” Apparently, Hollander couldn’t leave it at that. In an interview on National Public Radio, it was reported that Hollander believes “there isn’t much quality work coming from non-white poets today.” Scholar Adrienne McCormick notes that “with its focus on form and aesthetics and its long history of lyric reflection, poetry is often seen as the last bastion of a high-art sensibility. On the other hand, poetry is also a genre frequently utilized by contemporary American movements for social and political change.” The PSA’s Board President accused Mosley, Alexander, Campo, et al., of McCarthyism.

With this in mind, I pulled three relatively recent titles — anthologies of work by poets of color — off the shelf as my personal challenge to Hollander’s ignorance.

Here’s what I found: two of the three collections, Asian American Poetry: The Next Generation and The Wind Shifts: New Latino Poetry, were compiled by editors who struggled honorably with the anxiety of authenticity (Is the work Asian enough? Latina/o enough?)."

"Rejuvenating the Valley with respect for culture, community and habitat"

excellent article by poet, scholar, activist Kamala Platt:

"I am interested in what allows people and environment to thrive and, yes, to be respected by outsiders, not so they will necessarily come live here, but so they will trust borderland communities who speak against unwanted walls and waivers of our rights to a safe and healthy environment and culture.

When I tell people who know love and respect the borderlands culture about the waivers and walls they are outraged; only those outsiders who erroneously believe we have no culture here can’t see the harm in denying civil rights along the border. When we promote the cultural self expression of the borderlands, we build connections and mutual respect - genuine, shared security."

"...if a poem is not itself love it is noise
easy as carrying a sign
for the descendants of my ancestors, still landless"


-by Demetria Martínez
from "Rally" in Breathing Between the Lines

wind shifts reading in minneapolis