Matria

by Alexandra Regalado

Winner of the 2017 St. Lawrence Book Award."Regalado's elegant debut, MATRIA, introduces us to a world where 'leaf-cutter ants... could easily strip the lime sapling bare in the course of one summer night.' These poems are so attuned to the intricacies of violence and desire, the pulse and rhythms of bringing new life into this world, and the cleaving that follows. I'm so grateful to hear this brave and beautiful new voice, a mighty force to be reckoned with-one who promises us, 'Yes, I will be the hunter, I will start / fires... their faces will pale in my darkness.'"-Aimee Nezhukumatathil"Reading Alexandra Regalado's majestic first book, MATRIA, I stumble back through the decades searching for a poet whose debut feels as deeply realized, as richly imagined-TracyK. Smith, Carolyn Forché, Robert Hass? There is such a surfeit of life and language in this book, which ranges geographically from Florida to El Salvador, and thematically across art and identity, class and power, motherhood and sisterhood, life and death. MATRIA reminds us that words will never be deterred by walls, and nothing enriches American culture more than the crossing of borders."-Campbell McGrath"Truly remarkable poetry draws new connections between the emotional, physical, and psychological landscapes our lives move through. This is especially true of MATRIA, a stunning collection by Alexandra Lytton Regalado, who moves us among and between the intersections of motherhood and childhood, womanhood and country-hood. With arresting language full of grace and empathy, these poems dimension the uidity and complexity of these relationships as both witness and the witnessed, mother and child, native and foreigner, in both English and Spanish."-Richard Blanco"An electrifying attentiveness to terror and to beauty animates MATRIA, a collection that interrogates the eternal bonds of family and the unending bloodshed in El Salvador. Vivid images and precise phrasing transform remembered and witnessed events into lyrical acts that astonish. Rain becomes 'obsidian blades' then a 'rough beard' against skin. Salvatruchas drowning another girl in Lake Coatepeque become mountains. Alexandra Lytton Regalado, like Rainer Maria Rilke, reminds us that tenderness and brutality live side-by-side. MATRIA is a powerful and unforgettable debut."-Eduardo C.Corral

Genres: Poetry, Female Authors

102 pages, Hardcover

Published June 30, 2017

Reviews

[Caitlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Who taught you, Salvadoran woman / with your head bowed, veiled in lace, / to begin again with nothing more / than the promise of green?"

This was a fantastic debut collection that combined themes of womanhood, motherhood, and Salvadoran identity. I particularly enjoyed the Lotería poems and the imagery Regalado invokes in them. I'd love to see what else the poet writes.

[Maria Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is without a doubt one of the best poetry books I've read. Alexandra Regalado weaves country, motherhood, and womanhood, in a stunning way. This book is almost like an ode to motherhood, but also to El Salvador. There's so many stunning, brilliant images throughout. It's also very interestingly set up, the author reappropriates the Mexican Loteria, and turns into a Salvadoran loteria, with each poem titled like a loteria entry “Ours is not El Apache, La Pera, El Catrín. For Salvadorans, all days are Lotería.” I also find that Regalado fills a void that is needed, and brings us a book that respectfully represents El Salvador, in an industry with few Central American authors. We need more representations, and Regalado does it in such a powerful way. I had the honor of talking to the author for the lit mag at my school, my convo with the poet: http://sinkingcitylitmag.com/a-conver...

[Rita Martinez · Rating 5 out of 5]

A tender book and a must read for anyone who is a mother or is thinking about having children. However, this poetry collection offers so much more. There is a great deal of variation in terms of the lineation in poems. The author is not afraid to experiment and take leaps. In addition to motherhood, the poet covers topics such as violence and art, while exploring her roots. It's obvious to me why this collection has garnered attention and won a prestigious award. The author wields a strong Latina voice; I look forward to reading Alexandra Regalado's next collection.

[Erica Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

This award-winning collection paints a vivid picture of El Salvador, never shying away from the country's dangers or its beauty. Regalado offers sharp images and sharper insights in this memorable collection.

Postcard review: http://ow.ly/sADG30gg3v7

[Cody Stetzel · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very enchanting work, like no other, on Salvadorean storytelling, sagas and histories tied into the contemporaneous position of a woman.