poetry | E. Rowan Mena

Ariadna Vásquez Germán (DR Books #F)

February 13, 2011 by E. Rowan

Ariadna Vásquez Germán (1977 -) has two books of poems, Una casa azul (2005) and La palabra sin habla (2007), and a novel Por el desnivel de la acerca (2005). Her stories have been short-listed for the Casa de Teatro Short Story Prize several times. Her work has been translated into English (a short story in Mandorla, 2010 translated by Janet Hendrickson), and included in an anthology of contemporary Dominican women poets, Safo. http://miercolesitinerantesdepoesia.blogspot.com/2008/05/siete-poemas.html http://www.listindiario.com/ventana/2010/6/25/147841/print http://www.listin.com.do/ventana/2011/2/4/176192/Concursos-de-cuentos-Los-pioneros

Categories: Uncategorized • Tags: Ariadna Vásquez Germán, Dominican Republic, poetry

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Aurora Arias (DR Books #E)

February 13, 2011 by E. Rowan

Aurora Arias (1962-) is a poet and fiction writer, and a member of the “generation of the 80s”. Vivienda de pajaros (poetry, 1986); Piano lila (poetry, 1994); Invi’s Paradise y otros relatos (short stories, 1998) and Fin de mundo y otros relatos (short stories, 2000). Her work is distinctly feminist, and rooted firmly in the urban setting of Santo Domingo (as is true for much of her movement). She is considered one of the most important and interesting writers of […]

Categories: Uncategorized • Tags: Aurora Arias, Dominican Republic, poetry

Martha Rivera (DR Books #D)

February 13, 2011 by E. Rowan

Martha Rivera (1960-) is a poet and novelist. One of her novels, I’ve Forgotten Your Name was translated into English by Mary Berg and published by White Pine Press. She belongs to the “generation of the 80s”. She has three books of poetry, which are described as concerned with the “intimate and everyday,” and “closely connected to the body, though the city still occupies an essential space”. Her novel won the Casa de Teatro International Prize in 1995. http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martha_Rivera http://www.cielonaranja.com/rivera.htm

Categories: Uncategorized • Tags: Dominican Republic, Martha Rivera, poetry

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Soledad Alvarez (DR Books #C)

February 13, 2011 by E. Rowan

Soledad Alvarez (1950-) is a poet and essayist, and part of the “post-war” generation of poets. She has two books of poems, and has edited several anthologies of poems. Her work has been included in anthologies of Caribbean poetry in French and Spanish. Her first book was Vuelo posible (1994), and her second, Las estaciones íntimas (2006), won the 2007 National Prize for Poetry. http://www.baquiana.com/numero_xliii_xliv/S_Po%C3%A9tica_IV.htm http://blog.pucp.edu.pe/item/18538/soledad-alvarez-sus-senas-intimas

Categories: Uncategorized • Tags: Dominican Republic, poetry, Soledad Alvarez

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Chiqui Vicioso (DR Books #B)

February 13, 2011 by E. Rowan

Chiqui Vicioso (1948-) Between 1981 and 2005, Chiqui Vicioso authored 19 books, including five volumes of poetry; five plays; and six essays on women writers, literature, and education—notably Algo que decir (1992) (Something to Declare). And check out this piece on her single book, trilingual poem published in 2007 which sounds interesting. She’s been anthologized in English, Spanish, French and Portuguese as an important Latina and Caribbean writer. She was given the Anacaona de Oro in Literature and the Gold […]

Categories: Uncategorized • Tags: Chiqui Vicioso, Dominican Republic, poetry

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Jeannette Miller (DR Books #A)

February 13, 2011 by E. Rowan

So as I mentioned a few days ago, I’m supplementing the on-the-ground research and study I did in the Dominican because of the after-the-fact realization that I’d fallen into the machismo trap all too willingly. That trap that indicates that you’re not being sexist, there just aren’t any good women writers out there. I balked, resisted, researched, and have very easily found a number of wonderful contemporary Dominican women writers that I’m hoping to acquire books by soon. And here […]

Categories: Uncategorized • Tags: Dominican Republic, Jeannette Miller, poetry

say song you say

February 13, 2011 by E. Rowan

My review of engulf — enkindle is up at Three Percent. I really liked this book. As Chad said: But today, Erica is gushing rather than screeding . . . Based on the first paragraph alone, I think Erica kinda sorta likes this collection . . . (And be sure to scroll to the bottom to hear a recording Erica did of one of the poems): engulf — enkindle is a stunning book of poetry. It literally stunned me into […]

Categories: Reviews, Translation • Tags: Anja Utler, experimental poetry, Kurt Beals, poetry, review, Three Percent, translation

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Adrián Javier (DR Books #6)

February 12, 2011 by E. Rowan

El bosque enfrentado by Adrián Javier. Casa de Teatro, 2008. Adrián Javier (1967-) has published eleven books, and received most of the major literary prizes in the Dominican, including the Premio Internacional de Poesía Casa de Teatro twice. He belongs to the generation of poets who started publishing in the 80s, and his poetry bears some resemblance to José Mármol’s – prose, philosophical, hermetic. He doesn’t have much web presence, but in one interview he’s called the “enfant terible” of […]

Categories: Uncategorized • Tags: 80s, Adrián Javier, Dominican Republic, poetry

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Bernardo Silfa (DR Books #5)

February 12, 2011 by E. Rowan

Máscara de la imago by Bernardo Silfa. Casa de Teatro, 2005). Bernardo Silfa (1964-) doesn’t appear to be very prolific. This slim volume, a single sequence of 25 poems, seems to be his second book of poems. But it won the prestigious Internacional de Poesía de Casa de Teatro. His work has been included in two recent anthologies, and written about critically. This work edges on the transcendental and the metapoetic, is definitively lyrical and sonically dense. http://palabralma-palabralma.blogspot.com/2010/02/en-bernardo-silfa-bor-los-caminos-de-la.html

Categories: Uncategorized • Tags: Bernardo Silfa, Dominican Republic, poetry

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Freddy Gatón Arce (DR Books #4)

February 12, 2011 by E. Rowan

La canción de la hetera by Freddy Gatón Arce. Editora Taller, 1992. Freddy Gatón Arce (1920-1994) is a founding member of “Poesía Soprendida,” poet and journalist. He’s won just about every major literary award in the Dominican, his work is the subject of much critical study across Latin America. As far as I can tell his work is wholly unavailable in English. This book is a slim, non-representative volume, but they didn’t have his complete works which I’m still trying […]

Categories: Uncategorized • Tags: Dominican Republic, Freddy Gatón Arce, Poesía Soprendida, poetry

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E. Rowan Mena

Poet | Book Artist | Translator

Tag: poetry

Ariadna Vásquez Germán (DR Books #F)

Aurora Arias (DR Books #E)

Martha Rivera (DR Books #D)

Soledad Alvarez (DR Books #C)

Chiqui Vicioso (DR Books #B)

Jeannette Miller (DR Books #A)

say song you say

Adrián Javier (DR Books #6)

Bernardo Silfa (DR Books #5)

Freddy Gatón Arce (DR Books #4)