Selena Didn't Know Spanish Either: Poems

by Marisa Tirado

Selena Didn't Know Spanish Either is a debut poetry collection which seeks Tejano pop star Selena Quintanilla as a means of reconnecting to the speaker’s cultural identity. As Spanish language and culture becomes more accessible to non-Latinx populations, the speaker grapples with her own complex story of assimilation. Modern marginalization, appropriation, tokenizing, and fetishizing are examined in this multi-generational memoir tracking a Latinx family’s journey to assimilation. This dynamic collection is far-reaching, exploring BIPOC experiences in predominantly white cultures.

from “Young Memoir”
 
di·as·po·ra
is silent. is spiritual. It is being robbed of memoir while you sleep in a suburb. it is nonconsensually sensual—it is a question. when it comes for you, what will you recover? what will you do to reclaim all that was forced lost?
 

Genres: Poetry, Latinx

46 pages, Paperback

Published May 25, 2022

Reviews

[Ellie Lopez · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book makes me so angry that I didn’t write this. Haha
5 fucking stars and a washing machine dance to “baila esta cumbia”

[Mellie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mirror work. This collection explores the many aspects of Hispanic identity. It speaks to gentrification, assimilation, language.

I’m so glad I found this gem.

[Beth Voecks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tirado is an excellent poet and I enjoyed the themes of her work. I wasn't really in a poetry mood so I think if I gave this another read in the future, I'm sure I'd give this book a 5th star.

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

This spoke to me on a personal level. I resonated with a good chunk of the poems in here. However, my own experiences aren't quite the same as those described by Tirado. I resonated with the disconnect from your own culture but the desire to be a part of it. I think so many people can resonate with that from all kinds of backgrounds. This collection is an important piece of Hispanic culture but the feelings described can be felt in so many individuals. Thus the power of poetry.

"I know these sounds, these curls and those eyebrows. I am home, yet confusing every waitress with my strained r's." - Young Memoir

I liked the overall encouraging feeling I got from the poems. The poems all seemed to point toward a journey of finding yourself. That you don't have to feel like you can't be apart of something. I lost the chance to learn Spanish early on, because my father was taught that speaking Spanish was bad. But the prose in this book makes me feel inspired to still try that I don't need to lose anything.

"Saying yes is just saying no to a thousand other things." - Young Memoir

[Tommy H · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful poems from a wonderful poet and author!! Five Stars would recommend!

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are lines in many of these exquisite poems that: shattered my soul into billions of fragments, wrapped me in the embrace so deep that my mother and abuelita would never dare try, and then held my hand as we screamed on our knees like that scene from Midsommar.

I can't wait for more from Marisa.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

My introduction to Marissa Tirado, leaving me with a desire to read much more. The shared shameful experience of being Hispanic without knowing Spanish. And the battle of needing that not to be the defining factor.

[Mireya]

Okay, I did it! I can check poetry off my annual checklist. This anthology was about assimilation and gentrification. It makes me think too much about Kylie and Bad Bunny. We haven’t forgotten, Benito!

[Marisol · Rating 5 out of 5]

A much needed mirror for me!

Thank you Texas Review Press for the advanced copy.

[Caroline · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars

An uneven collection (chapbook, really), but there were some clear standout poems, the title poem especially! Definitely a poet I will keep on my radar.

[Sandy]

I don’t know if I can really comment too in depth on this without feeling intrusive. I really wanted to read this when I found it because I know there is such a wide breadth to the amount of ways that people relate to the Spanish language. And in some ways my own position can feel like an intruder as someone who, despite having grandparents who speak Spanish, learned the language in high school and college. But, it was with that in mind that I read this so that I could learn more about the experiences that are not my own.

Beyond that, I really enjoyed these poems. I can’t say I remember the details too well since I’m writing this more than a month after I read them but I remember the feeling which I will carry with me. And I know that if I need to remember or relearn I know where I can find a copy.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emotions, heritage, and landscapes leap from the page through written word. With love and respect for her family, we get a glimpse of their experiences into the harshness of feeling the sense of where to belong. I think Marisa will be helping many feel seen and heard through her writing, and hopefully more to come!

[Vincent Antonio Rendoni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding. Can't wait to see what this poet does next.

[BookishKB · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I am on a date. I am asked where my skin came from.
A hundred years ago, a Spaniard stole a matriarch"

I enjoyed about half of the poems in this book.
The other half kinda fell flat.

I did appreciate the way the author discussed the feelings of isolation for a lot of 2nd gen kids. It's a unique experience, especially surrounding Spanish.
While I am able to understand, read and write in Spanish, speaking has always made me anxious.
There are so many who shame for not having a perfect accent. So that hit close to home for me.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this collection! My favorite poem was the title poem, "Selene Didn't Know Spanish Either." As a white/ Chicana I really resonated with the feelings of being disconnected from my culture and that desire to be a part of it, and how assimilation creates divides between so many of us and our heritages. Def recommend this book--and students love it!

[Lauren Carla]

not rating nonfiction
-
As someone who should have been able to relate to this, I wasn't quite there. As usual, liked some of the poems more than others. Glad that other people seemed to have really connected with it.

[Alex Abowd · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great collection, happy to add it into my newfound attempt at reading/appreciating poetry! I think her imagery is beautiful and I related to her not knowing the language of her heritage while still being very connected to it.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tirado is a brilliant new voice. Bravo!

[Clarissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don’t know if I understand poetry 🤷🏻‍♀️🤔

[Elaine Beitelspacher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Marisa Tirado weaved words in a way that moved and grounded me at.the same time. Highly recommend.

[S꩜phie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Felt both implicated and validated by these words but overall I'm a slut for Selena poetry <3

[Plus Size Bibliophile · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was excited for this, and it didn't flow right for me. With that said, reading is always subjective, and everyone should read and form their own unique opinion.