Free Downloads Rant. Chant. Chisme.
Winner: 2015 Writers' League of Texas Book Awards, Poetry Discovery Prize Rant. Chant. Chisme. is the debut collection of poetry by south Texas native Amalia Ortiz, featuring writing from the first decade of her career. Readers will get a taste of life on the border from the perspective of a young woman of color struggling to write herself into existence. These poems introduce a unique new transcultural feminist viewpoint as the poems call for social and political change along the borderlands. Ortiz, an award-winning performance poet known for her dynamic delivery style, relinquishes control of her writing to the reader, but not without first imparting the theatrical stage directions stated in the book’s title, which commands readers to recite these poems aloud in a spoken word celebration exploring culture, music, and place while encouraging the reader to embrace diversity and find their own storytelling voice.
Paperback: 128 pages
Publisher: Wings Press (September 1, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1609404440
ISBN-13: 978-1609404444
Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.5 x 9 inches
Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #1,111,889 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #116 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Poetry > Regional & Cultural > United States > Hispanic American #247 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Dramas & Plays > Regional & Cultural > African #101508 in Books > Literature & Fiction > United States
Amalia Ortez's spoken word pieces hold up well on the page, which is not always the case with spoken word. I enjoyed particularly the poems in the first and second sections ( Magic Valley Girl and Mujer de Tocolandia) which seem the most personal. My high school Spanish did not allow me to translate all the Spanish words in some of the poems, in others I could. But whether or not you speak Spanish, the fervor of her words comes through when she speaks of the wall against immigration and the dead women of Juarez. This book manages to be both political and personal, not an easy task it has set for itself, but it accomplishes it.
Amalia Ortiz is a gifted poet with a voice that sings to you from the page. She represents the generation of Latina women who are equally at home with Tejano and punk rock. She deserves to be read, discussed, analyzed, and, most of all, loved.
As a child growing up in South Texas, I knew what being a hocicona meant.It meant you were a repelona who enjoyed arguing. A chismosa who told everyone’s business. A cabrona who often picked a fight. A metiche who put her foot down when nobody asked her opinion.Mostly, I understood a hocicona to be someone who had something to say and the best part, had an audience to listen to her.Someday, I want to be an hocicona like Amalia.Her chismes entertain me like a good Mexican telenovela. Ella suelta la sopa and speaks in volumes through her resonating verses, opening up conversations often suppressed, as with ‘Women of Juarez’ and ‘the short skirt speaks’.Amalia’s poems remember. They cry. They tell on you. They don’t know how to play hide-and-seek well. They count you in when you try to blend in. And caray, do they speak!
At once personal and political, Rant. Chant. Chisme. is vibrant with the life and culture of south Texas. These lyrics sings songs of heartbreak and humor, of frustration and resilience, of deep humanity and richness of spirit. Ortiz's poetic voice is a comfort and a treasure.
Amalia Ortiz invites the reader to see, feel, and experience her world. It is a wonderful experience if the reader chooses to see what the author sees. Her invitation should accepted, A wonderful reading experience....couldn't put it down !!
This book stirred so many memories. I like reading it aloud.
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