Central American Book of the Dead. By Balam Rodrigo. Translated from the Spanish by Dan Bellm
Central American Book of the Dead, an award-winning work of the Fine Arts Prize of Aguascalientes Poetry 2018, advances in an exodus that starts in the Suchiate River and ends when crossing Rio Grande. Balam Rodrigo carries out throughout these pages testimonial poetry of a social nature that finds its roots in granting the poetic voice to the Central Americans who lived in their parent's house even before calling these assistance and support sites a shelter. The sections (each one determined by the country of origin of the migrants) that make up this memory book are, according to the jury a sample that "allows us to deepen our understanding of the human condition and give testimony of a vital experience that reflects the present ."
Originally published in its entirety by Fondo De Cultura Economica USA (May 16, 2018)
Central American Book of the Dead, an award-winning work of the Fine Arts Prize of Aguascalientes Poetry 2018, advances in an exodus that starts in the Suchiate River and ends when crossing Rio Grande. Balam Rodrigo carries out throughout these pages testimonial poetry of a social nature that finds its roots in granting the poetic voice to the Central Americans who lived in their parent's house even before calling these assistance and support sites a shelter. The sections (each one determined by the country of origin of the migrants) that make up this memory book are, according to the jury a sample that "allows us to deepen our understanding of the human condition and give testimony of a vital experience that reflects the present ."
Originally published in its entirety by Fondo De Cultura Economica USA (May 16, 2018)
Central American Book of the Dead, an award-winning work of the Fine Arts Prize of Aguascalientes Poetry 2018, advances in an exodus that starts in the Suchiate River and ends when crossing Rio Grande. Balam Rodrigo carries out throughout these pages testimonial poetry of a social nature that finds its roots in granting the poetic voice to the Central Americans who lived in their parent's house even before calling these assistance and support sites a shelter. The sections (each one determined by the country of origin of the migrants) that make up this memory book are, according to the jury a sample that "allows us to deepen our understanding of the human condition and give testimony of a vital experience that reflects the present ."
Originally published in its entirety by Fondo De Cultura Economica USA (May 16, 2018)
Balam Rodriguez is the author of numerous collections of poetry, including Central American Book of the Dead (FCE, 2018), winner of the Premio Bellas Artes de Poesía Aguascalientes; Marabunta (Ala Ediciones, 2021); and El tañedor de cadáveres (CONARTE, 2021). A biologist, writer, and former professional soccer player, he lives in San Cristóbal de Las Casas, Chiapas, México.