KIRKUS Starred Review:
A collection of writings from Bolivian poet, essayist, and feminist activist Zamudio (1854-1928) addresses enduring social issues.
Though the bulk of the author's body of work, which spans poetry, prose, and nonfiction, dates back a century or more (the pieces here were originally published between 1887 and 1942), it's only recently that political and social conditions have renewed interest in her writings and facilitated their translations for a global audience. This collection has two sections, one for poetry and one for prose, focused on themes including feminism ("Born a Man"), Indigenous identity and revolution ("End of the Century"), mental health ("To a Suicide"), and the viability of a battered society ("Masquerade")-subjects that Zamudio grappled with as a woman far ahead of her time, culturally speaking. Yetter's translations aptly retain the exigencies of the author's writing, though the poems do lose their rhyme schemes in English. In the prose section, Zamudio employs an almost epistolary, introspective style to document many of Bolivia's societal and political foibles; one story-"Yesterday's Meeting"-uses an animal motif (much like George Orwell later used in Animal Farm (1945)) to relay bureaucratic tensions and flaws in democracy. Zamudio employs the struggles of women and Indigenous people as fodder, both for her own work and for broader revolution. Her imagery is both whimsical and grounded, optimistic and learned; as she writes in "Poet," "it is necessary that she must dive into / Life's most bitter dregs; / To know horrid misfortune / And rugged paths; / Hurt by life's cliffs and thistles, / Wounded by the shocks of life. / That is inspiration!" We watch and read the news to understand what's going on in the world, but we also seek out art to contextualize how all these events make us feel and show us how to get through them; Zamudio's work serves these purposes brilliantly.
Confident, stirring writing by a prescient poet.
BookLife Editor's Pick review takeaway: Trailblazing poems from a Bolivian feminist in English at long last.
Comparable Titles: Gabriela Mistral, Rosario Castellanos.
"We should all learn about Adela Zamudio, a major Latin American figure, by reading this timely book."
-Roberto González Echevarría, Yale University
"Lynette Yetter's sensitive and powerful translation of Adela Zamudio's poetry and prose is a revelation that has found its perfect historical moment!"
-Lena Lenček, Reed College
"Lynette Yetter's translation of Adela Zamudio's poems and prose sings! Zamudio's odes to nature, feminist pronouncements, and revolutionary passages are adeptly and thoughtfully translated. Yetter's book provides a nuanced and thorough introduction to Zamudio's work."
-Claire Michie, Portland State University Foundation
"[L]ong awaited . . . ground-breaking . . . worth celebrating . . . ."
-Luz Ainaí Morales-Pino, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú
"This . . . bilingual edition is great news for everyone . . . ."
-Lucía Stecher, Universidad Alberto Hurtado, Santiago de Chile
"Beautifully translated, with both passion and nuance, this jewel of a collection promises to make Adela Zamudio's poetry (and prose) available to a whole new audience . . . ."
-Laura Arnold Leibman, Reed College
"Lynette Yetter has so brilliantly translated the poetry and prose of groundbreaking feminist poet Adela Zamudio, that this exquisite book reads as though it was written this morning, not a hundred years ago."
-Linda Segall Anable, Hollywood studio story analyst
★ 2023-04-28
A collection of writings from Bolivian poet, essayist, and feminist activist Zamudio (1854-1928) addresses enduring social issues.
Though the bulk of the author’s body of work, which spans poetry, prose, and nonfiction, dates back a century or more (the pieces here were originally published between 1887 and 1942), it’s only recently that political and social conditions have renewed interest in her writings and facilitated their translations for a global audience. This collection has two sections, one for poetry and one for prose, focused on themes including feminism (“Born a Man”), Indigenous identity and revolution (“End of the Century”), mental health (“To a Suicide”), and the viability of a battered society (“Masquerade”)—subjects that Zamudio grappled with as a woman far ahead of her time, culturally speaking. Yetter’s translations aptly retain the exigencies of the author’s writing, though the poems do lose their rhyme schemes in English. In the prose section, Zamudio employs an almost epistolary, introspective style to document many of Bolivia’s societal and political foibles; one story—“Yesterday’s Meeting”—uses an animal motif (much like George Orwell later used inAnimal Farm(1945)) to relay bureaucratic tensions and flaws in democracy. Zamudio employs the struggles of women and Indigenous people as fodder, both for her own work and for broader revolution. Her imagery is both whimsical and grounded, optimistic and learned; as she writes in “Poet,” “it is necessary that she must dive into / Life’s most bitter dregs; / To know horrid misfortune / And rugged paths; / Hurt by life’s cliffs and thistles, / Wounded by the shocks of life. / That is inspiration!” We watch and read the news to understand what’s going on in the world, but we also seek out art to contextualize how all these events make us feel and show us how to get through them; Zamudio’s work serves these purposes brilliantly.
Confident, stirring writing by a prescient poet.
