Year of the dog Poems

The powerful second book from Paredez (This Side of Skin) invokes a wide range of literary forms and artistic mediums, including rhymed verse, prose poetry, photographs, and archival material, unified by an ongoing concern with the past and its quiet presence in the cultural landscape. As Paredez writes, "Trudell signals his location over the radio: Even the rocks which seem to lie dumb as they swelter in the sun thrill with memories of past events connected with the fate of my people." These poems suggest that a shared repertoire of symbols, myths, and stories proves essential for fostering a sense of community. Yet, at the same time, this vocabulary must be expanded, revised, and modernized in order to be of service. For Paredez, the individual experience is rich with family narratives and shared memories, as well as the larger movements of culture: "When I enter/ this world," she warns, "I'll enter as Hecuba... purpled/ and yelping griefbeast,/ my mother's spangled handiwork." In addition to offering expertly crafted voices, Paredez has a gift for storytelling through form. This is an astonishing book. (Apr.)

CantoMundo founder Paredez (This Side of Skin) chronicles 1970, the Year of Metal Dog in the lunar calendar, the year of her birth, and the year her father was deployed to Vietnam with a troop of Mexican American immigrant soldiers. "My father has never eaten a pomegranate though he has spent time on the other side/ and its shadow darkens his return," she says of his experience. But she doesn't stop with his understanding that "close only counts in/ horseshoes/ and hand grenades," showing us both a Vietnam people battered by napalm and social unrest at home ("The mentality that calls Vietnamese 'gook' is the same mentality that calls brown people 'spics.' ") And she moves forward to self-portrait (she's a howling woman, a self-styled Hecuba), the Vietnam War Memorial, and schoolchildren today, for whom 2018 was deadier than it was for deployed U.S. soldiers. VERDICT A frank, lucidly written work that grounds readers in history.

Wife's Disaster Manual When the forsaken city starts to burn, after the men and children have fled, stand still, silent as prey, and slowly turn back. Behold the curse. Stay and mourn the collapsing doorways, the unbroken bread in the forsaken city starting to burn. Don't flinch. Don't join in. Resist the righteous scurry and instead stand still, silent as prey. Slowly turn your thoughts away from escape: the iron gates unlatched, the responsibilities shed. When the forsaken city starts to burn, surrender to your calling, show concern for those who remain. Come to a dead standstill. Silent as prey, slowly turn into something essential. Learn the names of the fallen. Refuse to run ahead when the forsaken city starts to burn. Stand still and silent. Pray. Return. Excerpted from Year of the Dog by Deborah Paredez All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.