Touching the Fire

Jacket Description/Flap: As we approach the new century, Latino poetry is in the midst of its most vital and productive period. Poetry by Mexican Americans, Puerto Ricans, and Cuban Americans has changed the course of contemporary American writing forever. And it has done this by emphasizing poetry as the sound of everyday life--showing readers and other writers that the most effective manner of preserving the traditions of a culture comes from the colorful language of daily experience. "Touching the Fire recognizes the excitement of this movement by focusing on a few of its major poets, presenting a substantial portion of each poet's work. Some of these poets--Martin Espada, Lorna Dee Cervantes, and Victor Hernandez Vruz, for example--have been writing and publishing a long time. Some are only starting their careers. But they were all chosen because they best represent the strongest elements of modern Latino poetry--a confidence of language in its many forms, a gift for shattering emotional honesty, and an ear for the rhythms of a vibrant culture. Featuring the poetry of: Sandra M. CastilloLorna Dee CervantesJudith Ortiz CoferVictor Hernandez CruzSilvia CurbeloJuan DelgadoMartin EspadaDiana GarciaRichard GarciaRay GonzalezMaurice Kilwein GuevaraJuan Felipe HerreraDionisio D. MartinezValerie MartinezGloria VandoBiographical Note: Ray Gonzalez is an award-winning poet, essayist, and editor born in El Paso, Texas. He is the author of the memoir "Memory Fever: A Journey Beyond El Paso del Norte," and four books of poetry. Gonzalez has edited sixteen anthologies, most recently, "Muy Macho." He is assistant professor of English and Latin American studies at the University of Illinois in Chicago. Publisher Marketing: As we approach the new century, Latino poetry is in the midst of its most vital and productive period. Poetry by Mexican Americans, Puerto Ricans, and Cuban Americans has changed the course of contemporary American writing forever. And it has done this by emphasizing poetry as the sound of everyday life--showing readers and other writers that the most effective manner of preserving the traditions of a culture comes from the colorful language of daily experience. Touching the Fire recognizes the excitement of this movement by focusing on a few of its major poets, presenting a substantial portion of each poet's work. Some of these poets--Martin Espada, Lorna Dee Cervantes, and Victor Hernandez Vruz, for example--have been writing and publishing a long time. Some are only starting their careers. But they were all chosen because they best represent the strongest elements of modern Latino poetry--a confidence of language in its many forms, a gift for shattering emotional honesty, and an ear for the rhythms of a vibrant culture. Featuring the poetry of: Sandra M. CastilloLorna Dee CervantesJudith Ortiz CoferVictor Hernandez CruzSilvia CurbeloJuan DelgadoMartin EspadaDiana GarciaRichard GarciaRay GonzalezMaurice Kilwein GuevaraJuan Felipe HerreraDionisio D. MartinezValerie MartinezGloria Vando Review Citations:

Booklist 02/15/1998 pg. 971 (EAN 9780385478625, Paperback)

Library Journal 01/01/1998 pg. 104 (EAN 9780385478625, Paperback)

Contributor Bio:  Gonzalez, Ray Ray Gonzalez received his MFA in creative writing from Texas State University and is a professor in the English Department and Creative Writing Program at the University of Minnesota. He is the author of ten books of poetry including Faith Run (University of Arizona Press, 2009); Cool Auditor: Prose Poems (BOA Editions, 2009); The Religion of Hands (2005), which received the 2006 Latino Heritage Award for Best Book of Poetry; The Hawk Temple at Tierra Grande Poems (2002), a winner of a 2003 Minnesota Book Award; Turtle Pictures (2000), a winner of a 2001 Minnesota Book Award; and The Heat of Arrivals (1996), a winner of a 1997 PEN/Josephine Miles Book Award. He is the author of three books of nonfiction: Renaming the Earth: Personal Essays (University of Arizona Press, 2008), Memory Fever (1999), and The Underground Heart: A Return to a Hidden Landscape: Essays (2002), which received the 2003 Carr P. Collins/Texas Institute of Letters Award for Best Book of Nonfiction. He is also the author of two books of short stories: The Ghost of John Wayne, and Other Stories (2001) and Circling the Tortilla Dragon: Short-Short Fiction (2002). His poetry has appeared in the 1999, 2000, and 2003 editions of The Best American Poetry.