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    My Book of the Dead: New Poems
    My Book of the Dead: New Poems
    My Book of the Dead: New Poems
    Ebook139 pages1 hour

    My Book of the Dead: New Poems

    By Ana Castillo

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    About this ebook

    For more than thirty years, Ana Castillo has been mesmerizing and inspiring readers from all over the world with her passionate and fiery poetry and prose. Now the original Xicanista is back to her first literary love, poetry, and to interrogating the social and political upheaval the world has seen over the last decade. Angry and sad, playful and wise, Castillo delves into the bitter side of our world—the environmental crisis, COVID-19, ongoing systemic racism and violence, children in detention camps, and the Trump presidency—and emerges stronger from exploring these troubling affairs of today. Drawings by Castillo created over the past five years are featured throughout the collection and further showcase her connection to her work as both a writer and a visual artist. My Book of the Dead is a remarkable collection that features a poet at the height of her craft.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHigh Road Books
    Release dateSep 1, 2021
    ISBN9780826363206
    My Book of the Dead: New Poems
    Author

    Ana Castillo

    Ana Castillo is a celebrated poet, novelist, short story writer, essayist, editor, playwright, translator, and scholar. Born and raised in Chicago, her award winning, bestselling titles include the novels So Far from God, The Guardians, Peel My Love like an Onion, and Sapogonia, which was a New York Times Notable Book, and the poetry collection I Ask the Impossible. She has received numerous awards, including the 2018 PEN Oakland Lifetime Achievement Award, the Fuller Award for Lifetime Achievement, and was inducted into the Chicago Literary Hall of Fame.

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      Book preview

      My Book of the Dead - Ana Castillo

      MY BOOK OF THE DEAD

      Ana Castillo

      MY BOOK OF THE DEAD

      new poems

      High Road Books is an imprint of the University of New Mexico Press

      © 2021 by Ana Castillo

      All rights reserved. Published 2021

      Printed in the United States of America

      ISBN 978-0-8263-6319-0 (cloth)

      ISBN 978-0-8263-6320-6 (e-book)

      Library of Congress Control Number: 2021937812

      Founded in 1889, the University of New Mexico sits on the traditional homelands of the Pueblo of Sandia. The original peoples of New Mexico—Pueblo, Navajo, and Apache—since time immemorial have deep connections to the land and have made significant contributions to the broader community statewide. We honor the land itself and those who remain stewards of this land throughout the generations and also acknowledge our committed relationship to Indigenous peoples. We gratefully recognize our history.

      Cover photograph: (top) adapted from photograph by on Unsplash, (middle) adapted from photograph by Artur Kornakov on Unsplash, (bottom) adapted from photograph by Teemu Paananen on Unsplash.

      Designed by Felicia Cedillos

      Composed in Adobe Caslon Pro 10.25/14.25

      In memory of the dead,

      and to all the survivors,

      including our beloved Mother Earth.

      May the gods heed our prayers.

      Contents

      Acknowledgments

      PART I

      A Storm upon Us

      Tell Me to Live for Something

      Hache ¡Presente!

      The Reflection

      Algo de ti (An Ekphrastic Exercise)

      Something About You (An Ekphrastic Exercise)

      Translation by Sylvia Mullally with Ana Castillo

      What Is Your Writing Process?

      When Snow Turns to Rain and It Is Still Winter

      Mass Shootings (2016 to 2019 and Counting)

      If I Pray

      Homage to Akilah

      Two Men and Me

      Othering

      Gotas caían en el techo

      Drops Fell on the Roof

      Translation by Tyehimba Jess with Ana Castillo

      Everybody Wanted Everything

      White Buffalo Calf Woman

      PART II

      How to Tell You Are Living under Rising Fascism (A Basic Primer in Progress)

      Eyes, Heart, and Mind: Take Action

      Soy la muxe juchiteca

      I, Muxe Juchiteca

      Translation by Ana Castillo

      P.S. Bittersweet

      Whitman

      Tantrum

      Cat’s Mad Lick

      A Francisco X.

      For Francisco X.

      Translation by Julieta Corpus with Ana Castillo

      Fun House of Muted Desires

      When Myra Had Enough

      Click (Simple Present)

      Insomnia

      Insomnia

      Translation by Sara Solaimani

      Cancer Poem

      Mierda

      These Times

      PART III

      On the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Black Panther Party

      Xicanisma Prophecies Post 2012: Putin’s Puppet

      Detention

      Lamento

      Lament

      Translation by Sara Solaimani with Ana Castillo

      By the End of the Twenty-First Century When

      A Amazônia está queimando

      The Goldfish Went Missing

      Florinda se fue al cielo

      Florinda Went to Heaven

      Translated by Ana Castillo

      Pande . . . monium

      Wednesday Night in the Boogie Down Bronx

      My Book of the Dead

      Notes

      Acknowledgments

      Thanks to the following journals in which some of these poems previously appeared:

      American Academy of Poets: A Amazônia está queimando

      Chiricu Journal: Latina/o Literatures, Arts, and Cultures: "Xicanisma

      Prophecies Post 2012: Putin’s Puppet"

      Curriculum and Pedagogy: A Amazônia está queimando

      Fifth Wednesday Journal: A Storm upon Us and Two Men and Me

      Hypertext Review: A Storm upon Us and Homage to Akilah

      Puro Chicanx Writers of the 21st Century: "Xicanisma Prophecies Post

      2012: Putin’s Puppet and Two Men and Me"

      Resisting Arrest: When Snow Turns to Rain and It Is Still Winter

      Weber: The Conemporary West: Algo de ti (An Ekphrastic Exercise)

      For generously assisting with translation from Spanish to English, I thank Julieta Corpus, Tyehimba Jess, Sylvia E. Mullally, and Sara Solaimani. Also, I thank those who looked at early versions of poems, especially Marcelo Castillo, Randy P. Conner, Electra Gamón Fielding, and Brenda Romero.

      At home, I am grateful to Eddie M. Rodríguez, whose constant love, care, and support of all my endeavors see me through each day.

      PART I

      A Storm upon Us

      In memory of John Trudell, written upon the occasion of his crossing over

      A storm is coming. It is on the horizon.

      It has traveled far, fast, wide, and

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