My Book of the Dead: New Poems [Paperback]

For more than thirty years, Ana Castillo has been mesmerizing and inspiring readers from all over the world with her passionate and fiery poetry and prose. Now the original Xicanista is back to her first literary love, poetry, and to interrogating the social and political upheaval the world has seen over the last decade. Angry and sad, playful and wise, Castillo delves into the bitter side of our world—the environmental crisis, COVID-19, ongoing systemic racism and violence, children in detention camps, and the Trump presidency—and emerges stronger from exploring these troubling affairs of today. Drawings by Castillo created over the past five years are featured throughout the collection and further showcase her connection to her work as both a writer and a visual artist.My Book of the Deadis a remarkable collection that features a poet at the height of her craft.Ana Castillois a celebrated author of poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and drama. Among her award-winning books areSo Far from God: A Novel;The Mixquiahuala Letters;Black Dove: Mamá, Mi’jo, and Me;The Guardians: A Novel;Peel My Love Like an Onion: A Novel;Sapogonia; andMassacre of the Dreamers: Essays on Xicanisma(UNM Press). Born and raised in Chicago, Castillo resides in southern New Mexico.She's got a lot to tackle--the Trump era, the border crisis, environmental threats, racially motivated violence--but these declarative, crackling poems confront their subjects with wit and grace, in English and Spanish.--Molly Boyle and Kate Nelson,New Mexico Magazine