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BreakBeat Poets
The BreakBeat Poets Vol. 4: LatiNext
In the dynamic tradition of the BreakBeat Poets anthology, The BreakBeat Poets Vol. 4: LatiNEXT celebrates the embodied narratives of Latinidad. Poets speak from an array of nationalities, genders, sexualities, races, and writing styles, staking a claim to our cultural and civic space. Like Hip-Hop, we honor what was, what is, and what's next.
225 pages, Paperback
First published April 7, 2020
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April 21, 2023
‘How our words bloom
from the same backbone’
-Ana Portnoy Brimmer, ‘Home’
For the last few years I have always looked forward to early Spring as it meant the release of another BreakBeat Poets anthology from Haymarket Books. Each volume has been an utter delight and an incredible opportunity to discover new poets as well as read more work from the familiar names included. Working in a bookstore and just as a large advocate of poetry, whenever people ask for a good starting point with poetry I always direct them to this series. The newly released fourth volume, LatiNext from editors Felicia Rose Chavez, José Olivarez, and Willie Perdomo is another excellent addition to the collection and highlights Latinx voices in poetry. This volume displays a ‘collective resonance’--as poet Daniel Borzutzky puts it, of voices that chronicle the joys, struggles, traditions, hope and more of the Latinx identity. With voices from spoken word poets, traditional verse poets, new or up-and-coming poets to National Book Award winning poets, this is an important and powerful collection that proudly gives a platform for artists to stake their rightful claim in the history of poetry.
‘What’s in a name?’ asks poem Jani Rose through the title of her poem.
This anthology beautifully creates a poetic space for identity to speak and tell a story. As Perdomo states in the introduction ‘you will find poets in conversation, in celebration, in protest, in demonstration, in a collective breakbeat that is informed by ritual, but aso a resistance to the normalized ways of looking at stanzas, patria, sex, gender, patriarcy, and nationalism.’ Separated into five thematic sections, these poems cover a vast array of topics. Decolonialism, language, gender and sexuality, borders, honoring family, remembering the fallen, community life and more all are roots from which poetic beauty blossoms within these pages. These poems take place in bustling kitchens, in the streets and subways, in the bedroom, and anywhere life can be found and celebrated. The pages practically burst with music. The poetic styles are bountiful, inventive, fresh and familiar, and the large assortment of poets from the fresh to the familiar is outstanding. The longest of any volume in the anthology thus far, readers will discover new talent as well as find works from celebrated names such as Elizabeth Acevedo, Nicole Sealey, Yesenia Montilla, Javier Zamora, John Murillo, José Olivarez, Sara Borjas, and many more. This volume alone is a perfect starting point to discover your next favorite poets.
‘My Spanglish is an unwanted child who insisted on being born.’
-Peggy Robles Alvarado, ‘My Spanglish’
Language plays a predominant theme across this collection. There are tearjerking moments such as Sara Borjas’ poem exploring her mother calling her ‘míja’ over the phone concluding with ‘what my mother / still wants / her mother / to call /and say’. There are also insightful looks at the interplay between two languages and a bilingual identity. The juxtaposition of the Spanish language with the English translation of ‘preguntas frecuentes’ by Raquel Salas Rivera serves as an excellent example of natural translation barriers and the way language informs concepts such as the singular self and plurality.
The notation of ‘the(y)’ is particularly interesting as a method of capturing the idiosyncrasies of language. In the introduction, WIllie Perdomo discusses how revolutionary the use of Spanglish was in poetry as a decolonial practice. As the great Audre Lorde once wrote, ‘The master's tools will never dismantle the master's house,’ yet the combination of both languages creates a new tool that subverts the colonial tongue while using it against itself and embodies the identity of one living in a foreign land. As Wren Romero writes in ‘A Letter from the X in Latinx’:
Decolonialism becomes an important theme as well, especially with regard to the imperialist nature of the United States. We see poets rally against nationalism and white supremacy, decry the violent foreign policy of the US government and its military, look at the horrors of family separations and deadly border crossings, examine the gentrification in Latinx neighborhoods and the assault of systemic poverty on people.
Jonathan Mendoza’s ‘On Nationalism’ which begins with a powerful erasure of Woody Gutherie’s ‘This Land is Your Land’, looks at the notion of being an American citizen without feeling part of the American system and resisting the violence inherent in it. As Perdomo points out, Poets will play a role in the changing of the world and collected here are many fine voices calling for that change.
Language is the way we reshape the world around us. Within this volume we see it also look at rigid gender roles and find ways to speak against them, as with oppressive and outdated looks at sexuality as well. Language is the tool of those to be heard and poetry is an excellent way to utilize such an important tool. Haymarket Books has consistently been an empowering, provocative, educational and progressive publisher that has given space to necessary and urgent voices to be heard and their BreakBeat Poets anthology series is one of the best platforms they have created. This is another valuable addition and I’m eager to see what next year will bring.
5 /5
I received an ARC of this collection in exchange for an honest review. That has not influenced my opinion in any way. I basically hounded people on twitter to get a hold of it and then bought it when it came out this week anyways.
from the same backbone’
-Ana Portnoy Brimmer, ‘Home’
For the last few years I have always looked forward to early Spring as it meant the release of another BreakBeat Poets anthology from Haymarket Books. Each volume has been an utter delight and an incredible opportunity to discover new poets as well as read more work from the familiar names included. Working in a bookstore and just as a large advocate of poetry, whenever people ask for a good starting point with poetry I always direct them to this series. The newly released fourth volume, LatiNext from editors Felicia Rose Chavez, José Olivarez, and Willie Perdomo is another excellent addition to the collection and highlights Latinx voices in poetry. This volume displays a ‘collective resonance’--as poet Daniel Borzutzky puts it, of voices that chronicle the joys, struggles, traditions, hope and more of the Latinx identity. With voices from spoken word poets, traditional verse poets, new or up-and-coming poets to National Book Award winning poets, this is an important and powerful collection that proudly gives a platform for artists to stake their rightful claim in the history of poetry.
‘What’s in a name?’ asks poem Jani Rose through the title of her poem.
It is the sound of our identity.
The auditory virtual self
that is spoken into the universe,
and when written on the page
it means “me”.
This anthology beautifully creates a poetic space for identity to speak and tell a story. As Perdomo states in the introduction ‘you will find poets in conversation, in celebration, in protest, in demonstration, in a collective breakbeat that is informed by ritual, but aso a resistance to the normalized ways of looking at stanzas, patria, sex, gender, patriarcy, and nationalism.’ Separated into five thematic sections, these poems cover a vast array of topics. Decolonialism, language, gender and sexuality, borders, honoring family, remembering the fallen, community life and more all are roots from which poetic beauty blossoms within these pages. These poems take place in bustling kitchens, in the streets and subways, in the bedroom, and anywhere life can be found and celebrated. The pages practically burst with music. The poetic styles are bountiful, inventive, fresh and familiar, and the large assortment of poets from the fresh to the familiar is outstanding. The longest of any volume in the anthology thus far, readers will discover new talent as well as find works from celebrated names such as Elizabeth Acevedo, Nicole Sealey, Yesenia Montilla, Javier Zamora, John Murillo, José Olivarez, Sara Borjas, and many more. This volume alone is a perfect starting point to discover your next favorite poets.
‘My Spanglish is an unwanted child who insisted on being born.’
-Peggy Robles Alvarado, ‘My Spanglish’
Language plays a predominant theme across this collection. There are tearjerking moments such as Sara Borjas’ poem exploring her mother calling her ‘míja’ over the phone concluding with ‘what my mother / still wants / her mother / to call /and say’. There are also insightful looks at the interplay between two languages and a bilingual identity. The juxtaposition of the Spanish language with the English translation of ‘preguntas frecuentes’ by Raquel Salas Rivera serves as an excellent example of natural translation barriers and the way language informs concepts such as the singular self and plurality.
en el idioma lo que ya existe no era
Lo que será se da en el idiomx
En elle idioma
No importa el presente
Tanto como el presente plural
¿cómo haces en español para existir
singularmente?
O
In language what already exists wasn’t
What will be happens in languagx
In the(y) language
The present doesn’t matter
As much as the plural present
how do you manage in spanish to exist
singularly?
The notation of ‘the(y)’ is particularly interesting as a method of capturing the idiosyncrasies of language. In the introduction, WIllie Perdomo discusses how revolutionary the use of Spanglish was in poetry as a decolonial practice. As the great Audre Lorde once wrote, ‘The master's tools will never dismantle the master's house,’ yet the combination of both languages creates a new tool that subverts the colonial tongue while using it against itself and embodies the identity of one living in a foreign land. As Wren Romero writes in ‘A Letter from the X in Latinx’:
am i fucking up your language?
maybe i mean to.
maybe i mean to remind spanish that it’s as uncomfortable on my tongue
as english, french, and latin before it.
maybe i mean to remind U this is nobody’s country.
maybe i mean to remind U that we haven’t heard the future yet,
maybe i do mean to fuck up your language
Decolonialism becomes an important theme as well, especially with regard to the imperialist nature of the United States. We see poets rally against nationalism and white supremacy, decry the violent foreign policy of the US government and its military, look at the horrors of family separations and deadly border crossings, examine the gentrification in Latinx neighborhoods and the assault of systemic poverty on people.
I am not American
Because I am “proud”.
I am American
despite bombing seven countries,
despite exploited labor,
despite Palestine,
El Salvador,
Guam.
Jonathan Mendoza’s ‘On Nationalism’ which begins with a powerful erasure of Woody Gutherie’s ‘This Land is Your Land’, looks at the notion of being an American citizen without feeling part of the American system and resisting the violence inherent in it. As Perdomo points out, Poets will play a role in the changing of the world and collected here are many fine voices calling for that change.
Language is the way we reshape the world around us. Within this volume we see it also look at rigid gender roles and find ways to speak against them, as with oppressive and outdated looks at sexuality as well. Language is the tool of those to be heard and poetry is an excellent way to utilize such an important tool. Haymarket Books has consistently been an empowering, provocative, educational and progressive publisher that has given space to necessary and urgent voices to be heard and their BreakBeat Poets anthology series is one of the best platforms they have created. This is another valuable addition and I’m eager to see what next year will bring.
5 /5
I received an ARC of this collection in exchange for an honest review. That has not influenced my opinion in any way. I basically hounded people on twitter to get a hold of it and then bought it when it came out this week anyways.
March 16, 2021
This collection showcases Latinx poets. The topics of the poems are varied like the Latinx experience. One thing that stuck out for me in reading through the collection is the references to Card B. Another referenced topic is policies that affect Latinx communities. This shows the versatility of the collection. It can go from entertainment to political causes effortlessly.
Another great collection for poetry lovers.
Another great collection for poetry lovers.
October 1, 2023
This book was a godsend even though I don't believe in god like that. Like seriously I am not a poetry fan and reading this was torture at times but other times it was not torture at all because the poems were actually good (at least to me.) I now have 34 poems that I am actually excited to teach for my poetry unit that starts tomorrow - yes I know I'm hella behind. About half the poems are in English but at least they are culturally relevant, the other half are in English with some Spanish mixed in; the anthology has three poems in both English and Spanish, but I asked a Spanish-speaking student to read them and he only liked one of them (Home/Patria).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My favorite poem that I read that I probably won't teach was, "The Future is Lodged Inside the Female." This was my favorite part, thought it was hilarious:
in the future, i am not Spanish or Latina or Latinx instead i am:
HIS(PANIC)ED
-ED because past tense because colonialism. as in, my identity is something that happened to me.
-PANIC to acknowledge crippling anxiety lol
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Is there something problematic about a white lady reading a poetry anthology and choosing the poems she likes best to teach her students? Absolutely. But, I think it's a good starting place, and I'm having my students rate all the poems that they read on a scale of five stars or something, that way I can narrow down the collection, and hopefully students will be able to recommend poems to add to the collection during the unit.
Now I just have to decide (today) if I am going to teach "I Feel Horrible. She Doesn't" by dead white guy Richard Brautigan to start the unit (cause that's my favorite poem of all time) like I always do or if I am going to choose one of these poems instead. TBH I am leaning towards the former.
Wish me luck as I embark on this journey, and if you have any favorite poems / poetry lessons, send them to me!!
P.S. Can you tell I've been sitting in this coffeeshop since 6:30 am??????
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My favorite poem that I read that I probably won't teach was, "The Future is Lodged Inside the Female." This was my favorite part, thought it was hilarious:
in the future, i am not Spanish or Latina or Latinx instead i am:
HIS(PANIC)ED
-ED because past tense because colonialism. as in, my identity is something that happened to me.
-PANIC to acknowledge crippling anxiety lol
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Is there something problematic about a white lady reading a poetry anthology and choosing the poems she likes best to teach her students? Absolutely. But, I think it's a good starting place, and I'm having my students rate all the poems that they read on a scale of five stars or something, that way I can narrow down the collection, and hopefully students will be able to recommend poems to add to the collection during the unit.
Now I just have to decide (today) if I am going to teach "I Feel Horrible. She Doesn't" by dead white guy Richard Brautigan to start the unit (cause that's my favorite poem of all time) like I always do or if I am going to choose one of these poems instead. TBH I am leaning towards the former.
Wish me luck as I embark on this journey, and if you have any favorite poems / poetry lessons, send them to me!!
P.S. Can you tell I've been sitting in this coffeeshop since 6:30 am??????
March 12, 2020
I flew through reading this collection of poetry. Such an amazing compilation of Latinx poetry. I can’t wait to share this book with my loved ones ❤️
May 13, 2020
I read and re-read this beautiful and strong collection. I recognized myself and my family is so many. ORGULLO!
June 17, 2022
Beautiful anthology of poems by latinx authors exploring range of topics in the context of cultural identity. I love the books from this title series, I get exposed to such cool writers!! some of my favorite poems included: petition to get all white girls to stop wearing hoop earrings, Mexican bingo, confessions on gratitude, and auténtico, to name a few. Definitely check it out, especially if you are interested in discovering more talented Latinx/e poets!
April 7, 2020
I loved this collection of poetry and the way it showcases the range of Latinidad. So many poems made me laugh or exclaim or had me in my feelings. Beautiful work all around.
January 13, 2022
very beautiful collection of poems! there's something for everyone! for some reason there's a lot of stuff about cardi b, but otherwise the variety of writing styles is amazing! probably my favorite poetry book i have :)
November 17, 2020
powerful, heart-wrenching, provocative, & beautiful. i have been trying to read more poetry lately & recently finished latinext, edited by josé olivarez, willie perdomo, felicia chavez. it took me a while to get through (poetry always does) but so many pieces of work stuck with me. absolutely excellent anthology & i was humbled to get a glimpse into deep thoughts & feelings from latinx writers.
January 6, 2021
BreakBeat Poets Vol. 4 LatiNext edited by Felicia Rose Chavez, Jose Olivarez, and Willie Perdomo is a treasure trove of Latinx poetry offering new forms and content . In the introduction to this innovative anthology, poet Willie Perdomo eloquently writes, “If poetry is truly a decolonial practice, then this anthology lifts its lyrical machete, its formalististic authority, its innovative approach toward language. . .” This collection introduced me to a bevy of talented poets, including Andres Cerpa, Sofia Snow, Amanda Torres, Alan Charzo, Yesenia Montilla, Leticia Hernandez-Linares, Bailey Alejandro Cohen-Vera, and Sara Borjas.
Charzo, in “Broken Sestina as Soundscape” laments his assimilation and the silencing of such Mexican luminaries as Pedro Infante and Vicente Fernandez. In “Muse Found in a Colonized Body,” Montilla considers the white privilege of a shopper who insists that a bodega owner stock organic eggs the and then wryly juxtaposes the woman’s actions with that of Christopher Columbus: “Exclusivo, Quien Era Cristobal Colon?/…I have no idea/who he was, but I know at the very/least he was the kind of human/that landed in a place some called/paradise & instead of enjoying the view/he asked for organic eggs and cut the line—“ Hernandez-Linares, in “La Orquesta Mision” writes visceral, imagistic scenes of the sights and sounds in San Francisco’s Mission District becoming like a concerted orchestral movement: “In the distance, the timpani keeps/time with the bulldozers/ripping up asphalt and recuerdo.”
In sum, the poems of these talented Latinx poets sing and highly recommended for those interested in innovative, lyrical poetry.
Charzo, in “Broken Sestina as Soundscape” laments his assimilation and the silencing of such Mexican luminaries as Pedro Infante and Vicente Fernandez. In “Muse Found in a Colonized Body,” Montilla considers the white privilege of a shopper who insists that a bodega owner stock organic eggs the and then wryly juxtaposes the woman’s actions with that of Christopher Columbus: “Exclusivo, Quien Era Cristobal Colon?/…I have no idea/who he was, but I know at the very/least he was the kind of human/that landed in a place some called/paradise & instead of enjoying the view/he asked for organic eggs and cut the line—“ Hernandez-Linares, in “La Orquesta Mision” writes visceral, imagistic scenes of the sights and sounds in San Francisco’s Mission District becoming like a concerted orchestral movement: “In the distance, the timpani keeps/time with the bulldozers/ripping up asphalt and recuerdo.”
In sum, the poems of these talented Latinx poets sing and highly recommended for those interested in innovative, lyrical poetry.
June 17, 2022
Poetry is something I have prioritized, because for a long time I didn't particularly enjoy it. But as I went looking for poems I actually did like, I found myself connecting with more and more of them.
That's kind of how I felt reading this. Most of the poems were very nice, but a number of them were beyond my understanding. I think I'm also not keen on prose poetry – the words start to run together and when my brain goes "WALL OF TEXT" it's stressful.
I might have enjoyed this more if I'd just kind of read a few poems at a time here and there, rather than trying to read through it. I may do that at some point.
Also, the contributor bios were at the back. I wished they'd have been with their poems, and included more about how they got interested in poetry and what they were most passionate about. It was kind of hard to flip back and forth to figure out who had written what with the ebook version, as I'm not super familiar with the format.
That's kind of how I felt reading this. Most of the poems were very nice, but a number of them were beyond my understanding. I think I'm also not keen on prose poetry – the words start to run together and when my brain goes "WALL OF TEXT" it's stressful.
I might have enjoyed this more if I'd just kind of read a few poems at a time here and there, rather than trying to read through it. I may do that at some point.
Also, the contributor bios were at the back. I wished they'd have been with their poems, and included more about how they got interested in poetry and what they were most passionate about. It was kind of hard to flip back and forth to figure out who had written what with the ebook version, as I'm not super familiar with the format.
August 2, 2020
Like any poetry collection, this is a book you can read at your leisure; to pick up and put down at any time without losing a storyline. Written by own voice Latinx poets, I gained insight and understanding of the culture. Most shocking fact learned: the U.S. bombed it’s own citizens in 1950 when American jet fighters struck the towns of Jayuya and Utuado Puerto Rico. (“On Bombing” by Vincent Toro and independent research because I could hardly believe we would do that!) The poem “Jailhouse Library” by Mauricio Novoa added three new books to my to-read list: Drown, The Fire Next Time, and A People’s History of the United States. My favorite quote comes from “Poems for Lelia” by Sofía Snow: “There is something about a woman who never lets a seed die, who knows how to prune enough to grow things tall.”
February 11, 2022
The poetry shifts from English, to Spanish to a hybrid of both, with real and made up words-so one has to code switch from word to word, not just sentence to sentence. There is celebration here and self loathing as well. Many poets take the time to mention how beautiful Central/South America and the Caribbean are, how rich the culture. This gave me pause, since Americans do wax poetic about the beauties and grandeur of Europe but usually only mention how great the beaches and drinks are in Latinx regions. The poems are emotional to the extreme- extreme love, extreme anger, extreme sadness. And all very revealing and touching.
October 29, 2020
I read very minimal modern poetry but there were a few poems in this collection that I absolutely enjoyed.
Some were lyrical with varying beats, others were strong in imagery, others created worlds that felt like my home and family and considering the mix of Latinx poets, it was something I was hoping for and they delivered.
This collection has brought a lot of these voices to my attention and will be looking forward to finding some again.
Some were lyrical with varying beats, others were strong in imagery, others created worlds that felt like my home and family and considering the mix of Latinx poets, it was something I was hoping for and they delivered.
This collection has brought a lot of these voices to my attention and will be looking forward to finding some again.
June 29, 2020
There is some good stuff in here, but you have to read through a lot of other to find it. Is it worth it? Maybe if you are particularly drawn to the themes, but otherwise probably not. I would have preferred a slimmed down version with just the good bits, but the good bits might be subjective, but not all the bad were subjectively bad - they could have objectively culled numerous poems out.
January 12, 2021
Absolutely incredible. These pieces span wide and deep, punching you in the pit of your stomach & staying stuck in your throat til it aches. some make you guffas. Some make you angry. Some make you long for home or worlds you may have never lived in.There is fire and water and air and earth here.
These fucking poems 💗💗💗
These fucking poems 💗💗💗
September 15, 2022
3.5 stars. This book contained a lot of different poems by different poets of Latin descent. It was a decent read, I enjoyed learning about the Hispanic culture and some historical moments within that community. Only thing I wish is that there was a translated poems for the ones that were just written in Spanish. Maybe the paperback version had them but the e version did not.
November 6, 2022
Outstanding collection of lively young Latinx poets writing in every form and on every subject imaginable--some poems deeply personal, others passionately political. Powerful and impressive on every level, this volume belongs in every library in the country, and if you love poetry, treat yourself to this.
November 13, 2023
I enjoyed this collection, but as far as the Breakbeat Poets series goes, this volume was more challenging for me to get through. As I'm not a Spanish speaking individual I wasn't prepared for how much spanish would be included in the poems. So just a heads up to be prepared to really slow down and take your time with this poems, if it's not a language you speak fluently.
December 30, 2025
A reread that my soul needed. My favorite poems are “What’s In a Name” by Jani Perez Rosada and “Mami Told Me to Put Water under the Bed” by Peggy Robles Alvarado.
“Tonight, I will place a glass of cool water under my bed, listen for the song of my ancestors that says: we would never let you drown.”
“Tonight, I will place a glass of cool water under my bed, listen for the song of my ancestors that says: we would never let you drown.”
October 17, 2020
What can one say? This is some pretty solid Latino/a poetry. I liked the fact that a lot of it was done in free form style, but there is always part of me that feels a little dumb when I can't figure out a deeper meaning for myself. Solid companion piece to Breakbeat Poets Vol. 1.
June 3, 2020
Gorgeous.
August 22, 2020
Poetry isn't my jam for the most part, but I found this collection generally powerful and well compiled. Fans of poetry definitely need to check it out!
October 21, 2020
I laughed, I cried, and I related to so many of these beautiful poems!
April 23, 2022
Unbelievably rich.
A masterclass of now.
A masterclass of now.
August 9, 2023
I was definitely not the target audience for this given that I don't speak spanish. But what I could read was very good.
did-not-finish
December 12, 2023DNF @ 22%. I’m sure there will be other poems I like since it’s a bunch of different authors in this book but it has been so little reward thus far that I’m stopping.
July 17, 2025
the type of poetry collection that makes my latinx heart cry and laugh at the same time.
beautifully curated, and incredibly powerful. a must read for all, always.
beautifully curated, and incredibly powerful. a must read for all, always.
August 3, 2025
So many amazing poems. What a great collection 💕
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews