Never mind the new hampshire primary, the real agents of change were at the cutler majestic theatre yesterday. Henry david thoreau and howard zinn, four great icons of resistance in this country. Martin espada on banned books, poetry, and resistance. Martin, thanks for taking the time to talk with us about poetry and resistance. My favorite poetry has a profound sense of place, and most of these poems do. The stirring final poem, litany at the tomb of frederick douglass seems destined to become a contemporary classic.
The people speak is a beautiful and moving documentary film inspired by howard zinn s books a peoples history of the united statesone of the bestselling history books in the united statesand voices of a peoples history of the united states, the primarysource companion to a peoples history of the united states, edited with anthony arnove. This was followed by trumpets from the islands of their eviction 1987 and rebellion is the circle of a lovers hands. Under threat of losing millions of dollars in educational funding from the state, the school board of the tucson unified school district tusd voted 41 to. Martin espada reads the poem he wrote to honor his good friend, historian and activist howard zinn, whom espada calls the most decent, most generous human being i have ever known. In 2009, espada performed in the people speak, a documentary feature film that uses dramatic and musical performances of the letters, diaries, and speeches of everyday americans, based on historian howard zinn s a peoples history of the united states. The new book will be called voices of peoples history, and it is due to be published in 2004 by seven stories press. Two poems by martin espada, a member of the faculty of.
Espada referred to zinn as the most decent, most generous human being i have ever known. The book is full of poetry and essays that will appeal to high school students. He was older than the bread lines of the great depression. His critically acclaimed collections of poetry celebrateand lamentthe working class experience. A former tenant lawyer, he teaches in the department of english at the university of massachusetts at amherst. Although the book is just about chicago, this could serve as a fine poetry accompaniment to howard zinn s a peoples history of the united states. His collection imagine the angels of bread won the american book award. Castles for the laborers and ballgames on the radio. Forum network howard zinn and the freedom to write. Muddy waters goes electric, studs terkel drops a mix tape, and martin luther king at marquette park indicate the range. The film features the actual words in letters, songs, poems, speeches, and manifestoes of rebels, dissenters, and visionaries from our.
He was introduced to political activism at an early age by his father, a leader in the puerto rican community and the civil rights movement. His critically acclaimed collections of poetry celebrateand lamentthe working. He has published more than fifteen books as a poet, editor, essayist and translator. Mexicounited states free trade conference 63 rethinking the nafta record 77 after nafta. The rumpus in this new collection of poems, martin espada crosses the borderlands of epiphany and blasphemy. In 1982, espada published his first book of political poems, the immigrant iceboys bolero, featuring photography by his father. Instead of going back inside, the elderly writer takes a bucket and throws a handful of sand in the air like bread for pigeons and delicately feels his way down, step by step. The people speak is a beautiful and moving film inspired by howard zinn s books a people s history of the united states first published in 1980 and one of the bestselling history books in the united states.
Ten poetry books that illuminate a decades struggles. In 2009, espada performed in the people speak, a documentary feature film that uses dramatic and musical performances of the letters, diaries, and speeches of everyday americans, based on historian howard zinn s a. This poem is a tribute to the music of puerto rico, especially the music brought by the slaves from africa with their religion. I would have been more satisfied if the book had ended with the elegy to howard zinn. For every time i heard howard zinn speak, he would recite poetry, usually from marge piercy, so im delighted to say that were publishing an original from marge piercy in the next issue of the progressive.
Whether narrating the struggles of immigrants as they adjust to life in the united. He has published thirteen books in all as a poet, essayist, editor and translator. An astonishing collection of political poetry at its finest. For howard zinn 19222010 we stood together at the top of his icy steps, without a word for once, squinting at the hill below and the tumble we were about to take, heads bumping on every step till our bodies rolled into the street. Poet martin espada wrote a poem to honor howard zinn called castles for the laborers and ballgames on the radio.
Two poems by martin espada, a member of the faculty of university of southern maines stonecoast mfa program. As a poet, essayist, translator, editor, and attorney, martin espada has dedicated much of his career to the pursuit of social justice, including fighting for human rights and reclaiming the historical record. Chicagothe poetry foundation is pleased to announce the winner of the 2018 ruth lilly poetry prize, which honors a living us poet for outstanding lifetime achievement. He is the recipient of the national hispanic cultural center award. The new book, coedited by zinn with anthony arnove, will collect speeches, articles and essays, poetry and more from people who were part of the struggles chronicled in a peoples history. Series 11, personal affairs, 19572003, includes a wide variety of personal material, including juvenilia childhood drawings, writings, and family photographs. Ten choice poetry picks of the last decade communist.
Its called hope is a long slow thing, and the last stanzas read. Espada s poem on zinn is in his newly released book, the trouble ball. The trouble ball delivers, with espada s characteristic fire and dexterity, the eloquence, empathy, and probity that have made him an indispensable american poet. The author of four books about the history and business of sports, zirin contributed a peoples history of sports in the united states, to howard zinn s peoples history series for the new press. Books poems readings clips contact from the ruth lilly prize portfolio.
Its in the elegies that espada does his most satisfying work. Puerto rico has frequently been featured as a theme in his poems. The journalist james graham, in his book the enemies of the poor, witnessed my fathers work as a community organizer in brooklyn back in the 1960s and compared him to a guerrilladisciple. The poem is entitled castles for the laborers and ballgames on the radio. Martin espada born 1957 is a latino poet, and professor at the university of massachusetts amherst, where he teaches poetry. This is a very real poet who keeps it real, as in his more direct work, such as the dramatic monologs he performs in the people speak, a film documentary on the writings, diaries, journals and letters of wellfleets famed historian, howard zinn. He is the first latino poet to win this award since its inception in. The republic of poetry quotes showing of 3 in the republic of poetry, poets rent a helicopter to bombard the national palace with poems on bookmarks, and everyone in the courtyard rushes to grab a poem fluttering from the sky, blinded by weeping. In praise of local 100 now the dead will dance the mambo. Espada was the first latino recipient of the honor. Alabanza means praise in spanish, and espada praises the people whitman called them the others are down upon. We recently asked espada to talk more about these issues. The zapatas disciple of the title is actually my father, frank espada.
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