Contra: Texas Poets Speak Out
Ed. C.L. "Rooster" Martinez & M.R. "Chibbi" Orduña
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Contra is an anthology collecting the voices of 40 Texas poets from rural and metropolitan areas uniting with a purpose that speaks directly to the reality of 2020. In their introduction, editors Christopher Martinez and Manuel Roberto Orduña emphasize one of this anthology's missions is to "use art in direct opposition to fascism and anti-democracy." Like a time capsule, this anthology captures the urgency of desolating times in the United States of America. Simultaneously, with their brazen, audacious images, the writers in this anthology link their words to the perennial cries for justice. In our present social and political milieu, Contra: Texas Poets Speak Out, boldly steps forward to bring a recount, a call to action, and a testament of hope. Divided into four sections: We Muse, We Disdain, We Riot, and We Dream, this anthology takes the reader walking into a terrain of desolation, rage, accountability, and, most importantly, hope. In the section We Muse, poet Aris Kian, unequivocally opens our eyes to the cold monster of social media: To my white friends sending/ their deepest condolences from the comfort/ of a comment section: I've watched/ a cloud of tear gas tear through a crowd/ quicker than a prayer/. With fluidity, this anthology speaks directly to the oppressor, asserting an unstoppable force. Annel Flores declares, I am going to write our truths until someone listens. As an anthem of unity, this anthology proclaims the myriad of identities holding Texas together; as Sarah Maddux writes, The South has never been just one thing./ We are not a melting pot;/ We're chili/ And jambalaya/ And menudo/ all at once/. |
"Chibbi" Orduña is the founder of Laredo BorderSlam, and a founding member of the Houston poetry spot, Write About Now. His work has been featured on We Are Mitú, George Takei, Write About Now, and SlamFind.
"Rooster" Martinez is a writer and spoken word poet from San Antonio, Texas. His work appeared in such publications as The Huffington Post Latino Voices, Pittsburgh Poetry Review, and Pilgrimage Press.
Contra: Texas Poets Speak Out is a publication by Flowersong Press. Click here to purchase.
"Rooster" Martinez is a writer and spoken word poet from San Antonio, Texas. His work appeared in such publications as The Huffington Post Latino Voices, Pittsburgh Poetry Review, and Pilgrimage Press.
Contra: Texas Poets Speak Out is a publication by Flowersong Press. Click here to purchase.
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