Poetry Like Bread

by Martín Espada (Editor)

Completely unique among poetry anthologies, Poetry Like Bread contains works by poets whose imaginations are political. These are poets -- which include political activists, revolutionaries, guerilla combatants, and ordinary working people from around the world -- whose works are united in a desire for a world where human needs are met and justice is pursued.

Genres: Poetry, Politics

282 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 1994

About the author

Sandra Cisneros says: “Martín Espada is the Pablo Neruda of North American authors.” Espada was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1957. He has published thirteen books in all as a poet, essayist, editor and translator. His eighth collection of poems, The Republic of Poetry, was published by Norton in October, 2006. Of this new collection, Samuel Hazo writes: "Espada unites in these poems the fierce allegiances of Latin American poetry to freedom and glory with the democratic tradition of Whitman, and the result is a poetry of fire and passionate intelligence." His last book, Alabanza: New and Selected Poems, 1982-2002 (Norton, 2003), received the Paterson Award for Sustained Literary Achievement and was named an American Library Association Notable Book of the Year. An earlier collection, Imagine the Angels of Bread (Norton, 1996), won an American Book Award and was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award. Other books of poetry include A Mayan Astronomer in Hell’s Kitchen (Norton, 2000), City of Coughing and Dead Radiators (Norton, 1993), and Rebellion is the Circle of a Lover’s Hands (Curbstone, 1990). He has received numerous awards and fellowships, including the Robert Creeley Award, the Antonia Pantoja Award, an Independent Publisher Book Award, a Gustavus Myers Outstanding Book Award, the Charity Randall Citation, the Paterson Poetry Prize, the PEN/Revson Fellowship and two NEA Fellowships. He recently received a 2006 John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowship. His poems have appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Times Book Review, Harper’s, The Nation, and The Best American Poetry. He has also published a collection of essays, Zapata’s Disciple (South End, 1998); edited two anthologies, Poetry Like Bread: Poets of the Political Imagination from Curbstone Press (Curbstone, 1994) and El Coro: A Chorus of Latino and Latina Poetry (University of Massachusetts, 1997); and released an audiobook of poetry on CD, called Now the Dead will Dance the Mambo (Leapfrog, 2004). Much of his poetry arises from his Puerto Rican heritage and his work experiences, ranging from bouncer to tenant lawyer. Espada is a professor in the Department of English at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, where he teaches creative writing and the work of Pablo Neruda.

Reviews

[Deneene · Rating 4 out of 5]

An incredible bilingual anthology which contains one of my favorite poems ever . . .

Como Tú

by Roque Dalton

Yo, como tú,
amo el amor, la vida, el dulce encanto
de las cosas, el paisaje
celeste de los días de enero.

También mi sangre bulle
y río por los ojos
que han conocido el brote de las lágrimas.

Creo que el mundo es bello,
que la poesía es como el pan, de todos.

Y que mis venas no terminan en mí
sino en la sangre unánime
de los que luchan por la vida,
el amor,
las cosas,
el paisaje y el pan,
la poesía de todos.



Like You

Like you I
love love, life, the sweet smell
of things, the sky-blue
landscape of January days.

And my blood boils up
and I laugh through eyes
that have known the buds of tears.

I believe the world is beautiful
And that poetry, like bread, is for everyone.

And that my veins don’t end in me
but in the unanimous blood
of those who struggle for life,
love,
little things,
landscape and bread,
the poetry of everyone.

[Naomi · Rating 4 out of 5]

These are not poems that flinch from addressing the painful and difficult. They are often prophetic poems or angry poems or grieving poems. But they all feed the spirit facing tyranny and injustice.

[Layna T]

some really great revolutionary, feminist, and otherwise thoughtful and strong poetry. very relevant

[Eve Lyons · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent anthology of distinctly political poetry. Translated from Spanish and mostly by Central American poets, these works are by poets I would never have found otherwise, and include Espada's work himself, which is equally wonderful. What I love is that it captures the heart and soul of the working classes, and shows brilliantly how poetry can be found - I would argue even NEEDS to be found - in day to day, mundane existence.

[Sasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Totally a cool poetry book. He read at our school and he was a totally cool guy. I definitely recommend it to anyone.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has many great poems for when you are in a revolutionary mood.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an inspirational compilation. There are diverse and heart rendering perspectives on life, death, love, politics, and war. It is one of the 5 books that I take with me almost constantly.

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Powerful poetry from many perspectives.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

amazing selection of amazing poems.

[Michael Mingo · Rating 4 out of 5]

All around a very solid collection of poems. I am especially glad to be introduced to the works of Paul Laraque and Sarah Menefee.

[Jeanne Gillespie]

Fabulous work!

[Courtney LeBlanc · Rating 4 out of 5]

An anthology of political poetry.

from Nocturnal Visits by Claribel Alegría: "At night I listen to their phantoms / shouting in my ear / shaking me out of lethargy / issuing me commands"

from Nicaragua by Tomás Borge: "I love your poets, famous and sad / your joyful dead / who refuse to die."

from Like You by Roque Dalton: "I believe the world is beautiful / and that poetry, like bread, is for everyone."

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Highly recommended. First, there is a high percentage of memorable, impactful poems; second, there are many authors to be introduced to, primarily from Latin America. Poets I really liked in this collection: Jimmy Santiago Baca, Kevin Bowen, Ernesto Cardenal, Otto Rene Castillo, Martin Espada (the editor of this collection), Jack Hirshman, Sarah Menefee, Richard Schaaf, James Scully.